Category: English

Title: What’s It Like to Have a Jerk for a Boyfriend? In chick lit, there’s a cliche called “replacement love.” It’s when the male lead, missing someone he loves, finds a girl who looks just like her. Unbelievably, I ended up as the unlucky woman studying abroad, only to be cheated on. My first boyfriend couldn’t dodge the cheesy plot; he started dating someone who looks a lot like me. When I came back to town, he brought his new girlfriend to my welcome home party. Friends from our circle were all waiting to see me flustered. They were in for a surprise though, as I brought my new boyfriend back as well. The day Kai Dawson broke up with me, he sent a text: “Sorry, Sue. I broke my promise. I don’t want to wait anymore.” At that time, I still had a year left in school. We had survived three years long-distance, but our relationship fell apart in the last year. He had shown signs of losing interest, so I wasn’t too surprised. Swallowing my sadness, I replied: “It’s okay, let’s just be friends.” “Alright.” But later, I found out he had blocked me. A good ex is like being dead. I didn’t blame him and just blocked him back. Before returning from Italy, some old friends insisted on throwing me a welcome back party. They didn’t tell me that Kai and his new girlfriend would be there. Luckily, my best friend couldn’t stand it and tipped me off. “Sue, don’t go! They just want to humiliate you! Kai’s new girl is afraid he might still have feelings for you, so she demanded this party to show off.” I shrugged off her concern, “Aside from them, there are other people I haven’t seen in a while. I’ll just give them face and show up.” “It’s all Kai’s buddies. I wish I could be there to support you. Don’t let them get to you!” “Thanks for the heads-up. If someone’s set the stage for me, I can’t let them down. Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan.” The day I returned, I went to the party as planned. The waiter opened the private room door, and the first person I saw was Kai, sitting at the head of the table. A year hadn’t changed his good looks and confident demeanor. Next to him sat a stunning woman, his new girlfriend Evelyn, a recent hire at Kai’s company. She bore an uncanny resemblance to me. My heart tightened at the sight. I remembered two years ago when Kai sent me a picture of Evelyn. “A new recruit came in for an interview today. She startled me; I thought you had snuck back to surprise me.” Back then, Evelyn looked even more like me—same hairstyle, makeup, and fashion sense. I laughed it off, joking, “Maybe we’re related. I need to ask my dad.” Kai said, “No, she’s not. She’s from out of town, her parents are alive, and she has a twin brother who looks nothing like her.” “You checked into her background?” “Of course, we need to know about new hires.” Who would’ve thought that the girl I didn’t think twice about would replace me so completely? Back in the present, Kai’s friend Finn stood up. “Welcome back, Sue. It’s great to have our star back…” His voice trailed off as everyone looked at the man behind me. I greeted them calmly: “It’s been a while. Thanks for remembering me.” Finn forced a laugh and asked, “Sue, who’s this? Aren’t you going to introduce him?” Stepping aside, I proudly introduced, “This is Gareth Kirby, my boyfriend.” The word ‘boyfriend’ made everyone’s eyes widen in surprise. Gareth flashed his dazzling smile, showing off two cute dimples: “Good evening, everyone. I’m honored to be here with you tonight.” Gareth is incredibly handsome, and his smile had an explosive effect. The ladies were openly staring. One girl with long black hair exclaimed, “Wow, Sue, your boyfriend is too gorgeous!” The others quickly followed: “He’s unfairly handsome! Is Gareth a model or an actor?” Before I could answer, Gareth chimed in sweetly, “Thank you for the compliment, but you’re all very beautiful too. Just call me Gareth.” Not only is he good-looking, but he’s also charming. The crowd that was waiting to mock me had their focus entirely captured by Gareth. Even Evelyn couldn’t help but sneak glances at him. Kai’s face darkened, and he said sternly: “Let’s all sit down and chat. No need to stand around.”

As Kai spoke, the chatter died down. The waiter added an extra seat, and Gareth and I sat closely together. Once seated, I began introducing Gareth to everyone at the table. Tonight was supposed to revolve around me, but everyone was now completely fixated on Gareth. Gareth had been studying in France since middle school. He’s naturally outgoing and sociable, so I wasn’t worried about him being out of place. The girl with the long straight hair teased me, “Sue, you really kept this one under wraps, didn’t you? Secretly got yourself a new boyfriend.” Her words carried a bit of edge, and I saw some people’s eyes dart between me, Kai, and Evelyn with curiosity. I smiled softly and said, “Well, life is all about moving forward, isn’t it?” Over on the other side, Evelyn shyly leaned closer to Kai. “What’s wrong?” Kai asked, genuinely concerned. “Just a bit tired from filming a late-night scene last night…” Evelyn said, trying to muster a smile, “I’ll be fine. I’ll just take a nap in the car later.” Kai’s concern was palpable, “Eat something and I’ll take you home to rest.” He urged everyone, “Let’s order some food.” Someone teased, “Mr. Dawson is such a doting boyfriend.” “With a girlfriend as beautiful as Evelyn, who wouldn’t be?” Evelyn bashfully hid her face in Kai’s shoulder, “Stop teasing me…” I could feel some probing eyes on me, waiting for my reaction. Inside, a mix of bitterness and sadness churned, but I didn’t let it show. It stung to see my longtime boyfriend with someone who was essentially my replacement, flaunting their affection right in front of me. The feeling of being outdone by a knockoff version was humiliating. “Doting boyfriend? Really?” I thought to myself. The deep affection he once showed me could transfer so easily to someone else. I couldn’t tell if that was my tragedy or his. Finn politely offered me the menu, spinning it on the lazy Susan toward me. Trying to keep my composure, I said graciously, “I’m not familiar with this restaurant. Why don’t you all order what you like? This meal is on me, so go ahead and pick anything.” Kai replied indifferently, “This place is members-only. I’ll cover it through my membership.” I smiled politely, “Thank you, Mr. Dawson. Let’s have me host next time.” Gareth, without hesitation, picked up the menu and whispered in my ear, “Sue, what’s this chicken dish with sea cucumber?” “It’s a beauty-boosting dish. Want to try it?” “I’d like to.” He kept pointing out dishes and asking me about them, and I patiently explained everything I knew. Our heads were so close together it was almost like we were whispering secrets. The long-haired girl couldn’t help but ask, “Gareth, are you younger than Sue?” Without hesitation, I answered, “Yes, Gareth is six months younger than me.” The ladies chimed in with enthusiastic comments: “A younger boyfriend, how intriguing!” “Young and full of energy!” I overheard Kai’s friends whispering in Glaswegian dialect, perhaps thinking Gareth wouldn’t understand them: “A pretty boy hired to play the part?” “Must be, just to annoy Kai…” “I thought she had moved on. He’s just a kept man.” “Pride can be a heavy burden.” Disrespectful, regardless of whether it was true. Kai likely heard them, too. His lips curled into a mocking smile as he glanced at Gareth with disdain. Evelyn softly asked, “Kai, do you like younger women too?” Kai’s response was thinly-veiled disdain, “No. I’m a bit old-fashioned; I need a woman younger than me.” Clearly a jab at me, but I bit my tongue, forcing myself not to react. Gareth, oblivious or simply unbothered, kept browsing the menu. He saw a sea cucumber soup and said to one of the whispering guys, “Dougie, how about I order you some sea cucumber soup?” Dougie, trying to be polite, replied, “No, thank you, that’s too much…” Gareth smiled sweetly, “You’ve got dark circles and grey around your lips. Might be kidney issues. Sea cucumber is quite nourishing.” No man wants to hear that, and Dougie’s face turned several shades at once. He rushed to deny it, “I don’t have kidney issues!” Gareth, with unflinching innocence, said, “Your dull, oily skin and red nose suggest hormonal imbalance. You should see a specialist.”

Poor Dougie looked like he was about to explode from embarrassment, unable to come up with a retort. I playfully scolded Gareth, “Gareth, Dougie’s girlfriend would know if he had such issues. No need for you to worry.” Dougie’s girlfriend, caught in the awkwardness, took a sip of water. Gareth quickly apologized, “Sorry, Dougie, I didn’t mean to be so blunt. I know you won’t take it to heart, right?” What could Dougie say? He could only stew in his own frustration. The long-haired girl, enjoying the drama, asked, “Gareth, can you diagnose us too?” “I wouldn’t say diagnose. My grandpa’s an internist, so I picked up a bit here and there,” Gareth downplayed his knowledge, then dropped another bomb on the second whisperer, “Mr. Newman, your sparse facial hair but thick head hair is typical of someone wearing a wig.” Newman had long dealt with premature balding, always hiding it with a wig—it wasn’t a secret, but it wasn’t talked about either. A few people couldn’t hold back their laughter. Newman’s smile disappeared, his tone becoming hostile, “What’s your point?” Gareth feigned surprise, “Oh? Did I say something wrong? I thought it was a wig. It’s so realistic; I was going to recommend it to my uncle. My bad. It’s real hair?” Newman, who hated any mention of his wig, almost lost it. He was about to lash out when I softly reiterated in dialect, “Pride can be a heavy burden.” Newman swallowed his retort, simmering in anger. Gareth, all innocence, asked, “Sue, what did you just say?” I smiled, “Nothing, let’s order.” Food finally arrived, and Gareth and I played the perfect hosts, urging everyone to dig in. Evelyn tenderly peeled shrimp for Kai, and Gareth cut my steak. They flaunted their affection, and we flaunted ours. Everything seemed fine until one troublemaker couldn’t keep his mouth shut. A guy with glasses said snidely, “It’s a new world where men are doing women’s work now, huh?” He then praised Kai, “Kai made the right call, choosing a gentle, traditionally-minded girl.” But before Kai could respond, the long-haired girl scoffed, “So, are you looking for a girlfriend or a maid?” Another short-haired woman chimed in, “Do you think women exist to serve you?” I smiled softly, “It’s not the Victorian era anymore.” That guy quickly became the enemy of all the women at the table. Trying to salvage his standing, he backpedaled. “Just joking. No need to be so sensitive.” Gareth, with a big grin, added, “In my family, it’s normal for men to take care of women. My mom never has to peel shrimp; my dad always does it for her. Now, even in her fifties, her hands are still soft and pretty.” Gareth peeled a shrimp in a few swift motions, removing the vein and placing it in my bowl. I smiled and thanked him. The long-haired girl chimed in, “Gareth and his dad are the real doting men here. Actions over words any day.” Kai’s face showed a hint of discomfort, and even Evelyn looked awkwardly at their half-eaten shrimp. The meal turned out to be more comfortable than I’d anticipated. Watching my ex with his new girlfriend wasn’t as painful as I’d feared. On the way back, I gazed pensively out at the night. Gareth tried to lighten the mood, “Sue, did I do alright today?”

I laughed softly, “You did amazingly well, even better than I thought you would.” “Of course! How could I let you down?” Gareth replied confidently. “By the way, do you actually understand that Glaswegian dialect?” I asked, clearing up a nagging question in my mind. “Yup,” Gareth said, puffing out his chest with pride, “I know four languages and fifteen dialects.” He started listing off, almost like showing off a treasure, “Scottish, Irish, Gaelic… I know them all.” I sighed, “You’re really something else. Being an actor is actually an understatement.” “Nah, it’s not easy being an actor either,” Gareth replied humbly. He was also an artist signed to my company. We were college mates; I studied economics, and he went to the art school. Gareth, tall and handsome with an extroverted personality, loved performing. He had experience in theater and was pretty popular on social media, making him a minor celebrity abroad. Several talent agencies had tried to sign him, and he was keen on breaking into the domestic entertainment industry. Hearing my family’s business was a film investment company, Gareth approached me. My company rarely signed new talent, preferring seasoned actors from prestigious acting schools. Despite his impressive resume, Gareth was still considered a rookie. But I needed a good-looking and talented actor to deal with Kai and the gang upon my return, so we struck a deal. Gareth said sweetly, “If you ever need me to act again, just let me know.” “Thanks, but you should focus on your career,” I replied, putting on a serious face. “I treat you the same as any other employee. I hope you earn your place at the company through your own merit.” “Yes, ma’am!” Gareth gave me a playful salute. Once home, freshly showered and ready for bed, my best friend Lily sent me a voice message: “Hey, I heard you brought a new boyfriend?! When did that happen?” I could practically see her eyes shining with gossip through the phone. I gave her a rundown of what happened. Lily chuckled, “So, you hired an actor? That’s smart. He’s handsome and charming. Who knows, maybe sparks will fly for real.” I sighed, “I don’t mix work with personal life. It’s just messy.” “True, power dynamics can get weird. But are you sure he doesn’t have other motives?” Lily interrupted herself, “Susan told me your ‘boyfriend’ roasted Kai’s friends to a crisp! Too bad I missed it!” Susan was the long-haired girl from dinner. “He’s quick-witted and has a sharp tongue…” I was saying when a friend request popped up on my phone: Evelyn. Kai’s new girlfriend wanted to add me? I was puzzled. She must’ve gotten my contact from Finn. After a few seconds of thought, I accepted. Back in the chat, Lily asked, “Still there?” “Yeah, Evelyn just added me.” “😲 What’s she want?” “No idea, maybe she has something to say?” “Drama queen.” Evelyn soon sent a greeting, to which I politely responded with a smiley emoji. Then she sent a video. In the dim light, I could see a shirtless Kai, snoring and sprawled on a pillow, with someone’s bare arm in the shot. Disgust hit me like a wave, making me feel sick. Evelyn texted: “Kai’s snoring is so loud. Was he always like this? He won’t sleep without hugging me; it gets so hot and sticky…”

Lily wasn’t wrong; Evelyn was a drama queen. Unsure how to respond, I exited the chat. Out of sight, out of mind. Lily was still curious, “Why did she add you? Did she say anything?” I sent her the video and our chat. Lily exploded, sending a barrage of memes: “Is she insane?” “I’ve never seen anyone so shameless!” “Evelyn’s crazy!” I replied, “I think I’ll just delete her.” “Don’t! She’ll think she scared you off. Keep her around. Let’s see what other stunts she tries to pull.” “Okay, I’m off to bed. You should rest too.” “You can sleep after that? That girl’s nuts! Kai’s a fool for cheating on you for her.” “Seeing them together today, I was sad. But now, I feel relieved. Once a cheater, always a cheater. Thanks to Evelyn, I see Kai clearly now.” Lily said, “You’re so chill. I’d be cussing both of them out!” I sent her a meme saying “I’m eerily calm right now.” “Don’t waste your energy on people who don’t deserve it,” I advised. Evelyn didn’t provoke me again, though she often posted lovey-dovey pictures of her and Kai in her Moments, all of which were only visible to me. Realizing this, I decided to block her. Back to Gareth, he officially joined my company as a signed actor. The company planned to film a spy drama “Misty Mist,” and I secured a role for Gareth as the third male lead. He was thrilled. “Sue, I’ve read the script. My part isn’t huge, but it’s a powerful role.” I encouraged him, “Do well, and you can aim for movies. Your career could skyrocket.” Most lead roles were taken by acclaimed actors, promising mutual success for the film. But a month before shooting, the female lead was replaced by none other than Evelyn. As a producer, I was the last to know. The investor’s representative apologetically explained, “Mr. Dawson insisted Evelyn play the role. He really wants her in this project. We hope you’ll understand.” With financial backing from Kai’s company, I had little choice. Complaining would be futile. I felt disheartened but professional, “Tell Mr. Dawson that any breach of contract fees must also be covered.” The rep readily agreed, “Of course, Mr. Dawson will handle all costs.” So, it was settled. With the closed training and filming schedule, Gareth would be in the crew for nearly half a year. I was increasingly busy and rarely had time to check in with him. Two months into filming, Gareth messaged me, “Sue, can you come visit me on set?”

I replied cheerfully, “I’d been planning to come visit you all anyway. See you in a few days.” Gareth was over the moon, his excitement so evident as he said, “Really? That’s awesome! I can’t wait!” I knew why he wanted me to come. Apparently, Kai had recently visited Evelyn on set. I chuckled, “Whatever other kids get, you’ll get too.” “Thanks, Sue!” As the weather turned colder, I made sure to bring hot drinks for the entire crew when I visited the set. Gareth was still in costume from his scene, wearing a perfectly tailored 1930s military uniform that made him look dashing and charismatic. Seeing me, Gareth lit up like a lost puppy reunited with his owner, practically wagging his tail. I patted his head and then his shoulder. Though Gareth was only six months younger than me, our dynamic often felt like… well, parent and child? Owner and pet? Today, some media were also on set for interviews. After gulping down his hot coffee, Gareth was pulled aside by the director for a press interview. He and Evelyn sat together on camera, mics in hand. After some standard questions, the reporter targeted Gareth: “As newcomers, what do you two think of each other’s performances?” Evelyn turned on her performance mode and said with exaggerated sweetness, “Gareth is great with everyone; he’s charming and always knows how to make people smile. Everyone adores him. Our producer even came today just to see him. I’ve heard Gareth was a personal recommendation by our producer, and they’re college mates. I’m sure he has qualities that really stand out, which is why the producer took special interest in him.” Evelyn was just a step away from saying Gareth got his role by cozying up to the boss. It’s true I was promoting Gareth, but he had the talent to back it up. And let’s not forget Evelyn was only here because Kai paid big bucks to get her in. Pot calling the kettle black! The reporter chuckled awkwardly and turned to Gareth, “Gareth, what do you think of Evelyn?” Gareth flashed an impish grin, “I admire Evelyn a lot. She’s come up with a brilliant way to remember her lines. She gets her assistant to write them all on big cue cards and reads off them during scenes. It’s genius! Saves so much time on memorizing. Why didn’t I think of that? Gosh, I’m really slow!” His words dripped with sarcasm, leaving Evelyn fuming and forcing a smile. The awkward tension was palpable, with some crew members stifling laughter. Evelyn forced a laugh, “That’s not true… I only use the cards as a backup. I don’t really look at them during takes…” Gareth didn’t let up, “Oh, I’m just bad at memorizing, so I use my meal breaks to study my lines. Not like Evelyn, who’s both beautiful and clever. She spends her breaks video chatting with her boyfriend. So sweet and enviable…” Gareth pretended to be shocked, covering his mouth, “Wait, was I not supposed to say that? Can we cut that part out?” Evelyn’s face turned green, her eyes rolling in exasperation. The reporter quickly changed the subject, trying to steer the interview back on track. Media folks know better than to air dirty laundry that tarnishes everyone involved. Sometimes, it takes a real jerk to beat another jerk at their own game. Internally, I rated Evelyn: “Prideful but clueless, daring to mess with Gareth—good luck!” In the entertainment industry, actors pulling each other’s hair in private isn’t unheard of. Companies usually don’t step in unless things get out of hand. But some folks just can’t let things go. Not long after, I attended a business event with my brother and ran into Kai. Pulling me aside, he got straight to the point: “You need to consider enrolling your little boyfriend in manners classes, teach him some etiquette.”

His snide tone made it clear Evelyn had complained to him, and Kai was here to defend his precious girl. I crossed my arms, unbothered, “Mr. Dawson, if you have something to say, say it straight. Where did you pick up this passive-aggressive attitude?” Kai looked a bit embarrassed but quickly regained his composure, “Evelyn truly loves this project. I helped her secure the main role because of that. Since you agreed to let her participate, don’t make things difficult for her. I always considered you a reasonable person. Don’t ruin that impression.” I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. For heaven’s sake, who’s making things difficult? I had better things to do. And it was Evelyn who started it, Gareth merely retaliated. But expecting Kai to be objective was wishful thinking. Defending your girl is natural. Seeing my silence, Kai continued, “I know seeing Evelyn and me together hurts you… I was wrong. I’ll make it up to you in other ways. But don’t take it out on Evelyn; she knows nothing. It’s me you should be mad at.” This sounded too much like those dramatic TV clichés, and I couldn’t stand it. Cutting him off, I fired back, “Mr. Dawson, we are long over. I have no lingering feelings for you. And I’ve never targeted your girlfriend. She added me as a friend, sent me your sleeping videos. I have no interest in your playtime preferences. I just care about my company.” “Evelyn… couldn’t have,” Kai looked genuinely confused, unable to believe his sweet girlfriend could be so petty. I pulled up my chat logs with Evelyn as proof. Seeing the evidence, Kai was dumbstruck. I continued, “Invest in a few acting classes for your girlfriend. As an actress, she should focus on honing her skills. Viewers can tell when actors aren’t putting in the effort. If you can’t bear to see her struggle, marry her and pamper her at home. Don’t rob hardworking people of their roles.” Ignoring Kai’s pale face, I walked away. A month later, “Misty Mist” wrapped filming. The distribution company was pleased and planned to release it during the lucrative New Year’s season. I also heard that Kai had arranged for Evelyn to get a Best Actress award. Since my family financed the film, I didn’t mind Kai adding some shine to it. Gareth’s manager suggested, “Let’s have Gareth contend for the Best Newcomer award too.” “Sure,” I agreed, “but let’s do it on merit. No buying votes.” “Got it. Even a nomination would be great for him at this point.” Believing that “character is fated to follow talent,” I was determined to guide Gareth on a steady career path. Shortly after, director Daniel Williams, an influential figure in international cinema, got impressed by Gareth through word of mouth. Known for resisting financial influence, Daniel auditioned Gareth, who landed a small part in one of his films. Even a minor role in a Daniel Williams film is an honor. While Gareth continued progressing steadily, Evelyn’s team bragged about only taking leading roles in major productions. Her next gig was in an S+ fantasy historical drama, supported by a slew of popular stars Kai paid for. When the cast was announced, Twitter blew up, labeling Evelyn a talentless resource hog. Kai had his PR team manage the backlash quickly, preventing it from escalating. Lily joked, “Evelyn lands the female lead while your Gareth plays a bit part. You’re tough on boys but spoil girls. You and Kai think alike in that way.” “”Actually, this part is perfect for Gareth. A good role, even a small one, can make a big impact,” I explained. “I prefer steady, genuine growth over artificial boosts.” Lily fully agreed, “You’re right; forced fame brings bad luck. Don’t take on a job you’re not ready for.” Little did I know, Lily’s words would come true…

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During our romantic getaway, my husband Jack impulsively recorded a 15-second intimate video of us. He meant to send it to me but accidentally posted it in our neighborhood SnapChat group instead. He frantically deleted it within 30 seconds. Little did we know, the neighbor’s kid had saved it. The boy curiously asked me: “Auntie, who’s that pretty lady Uncle Jack was hugging in bed?” For our first month of marriage, Jack and I both took annual paid leave and decided to fly to the Maldives for a romantic getaway. The crystal-clear waters of the Maldives were breathtaking. I went for a swim in my black bikini, my curves accentuated by the shimmering waves. “Babe, you look so hot,” Jack said with a grin, capturing the moment with his camera. Photography was Jack’s biggest hobby. He’d taken countless stunning photos of me since we started dating. That evening, after an exhilarating beach bonfire party, we retired to our $5,000-a-night luxury resort suite. We figured we should indulge since this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. After showering, Jack eagerly embraced me from behind, whispering my name over and over. “Lena, I love you, I’ll love you forever… Will you call out my name like that when we make love?” I blushed and turned away. “You’re so shameless! What if someone hears us?” “Don’t worry, this fancy resort has top-notch soundproofing. You can be as loud as you want.” As we bantered, Jack got more excited and suggested recording a short video to commemorate the moment. If this had happened when we were just dating, I would have firmly refused. But now that we were married, I figured I could indulge my husband’s little fantasy. It was just a 15-second clip. After filming, he praised how “fair-skinned” I looked and said he’d send it to me. I checked my phone. “I didn’t receive anything. Did you forget to send it?” Jack quickly checked and slapped his forehead. “Crap, I posted it in the neighborhood group chat!” He hurriedly deleted it within 30 seconds. I panicked too. It would be mortifying if others saw such private footage. But a few people in the group had already seen it and teasingly commented on how pretty the woman looked. Seeing my anger, Jack hastily said, “Don’t worry, I only filmed your face and back. Nothing inappropriate was shown.” I blushed furiously. “They’ve all seen me before. Why are they suddenly calling me pretty?” “Maybe it’s because you’re glowing with happiness today, darling. Your inner beauty is shining through, so they naturally find you radiant.” “Smooth talker!” Even though he deleted it quickly, the incident still left me feeling uneasy. It dampened my mood for the last few days of our trip. Then one afternoon, I was taking a walk alone in our neighborhood when the 7-year-old boy from next door suddenly approached me with his phone. “Auntie! Auntie!” Since we were neighbors who often ran into each other, I thought he wanted to play. I bent down and asked what was wrong. To my surprise, the little boy pulled up a video and said he had saved it when Uncle Jack posted it in the group chat. “Auntie, who’s that pretty lady Uncle Jack was hugging in bed?” The woman’s face wasn’t clearly visible in the video, but it definitely wasn’t me. There was just a glimpse of parted red lips in profile. Her figure fit the slim Asian beauty standard perfectly. She was on all fours on the bed. Any adult could guess what was happening from that angle. And from the room layout, it was clearly the same resort we stayed at for our getaway! I frowned deeply. No wonder he chose the wrong video, given the similar angles. Could it be that Jack was having an affair with another woman during our romantic trip?

The small mole on the man’s abdomen confirmed it was indeed my husband. My husband cheating in the first month of marriage… Could anyone be more unlucky than me? I saved the video and deleted it from the boy’s phone, then bought him a lollipop. “The uncle and auntie in the video were just playing a game. Kids shouldn’t ask about these things. Don’t play with your mom’s phone so much in the future, okay?” The little boy skipped away happily. My smile froze as rage boiled inside me, feeling both humiliated and shocked. Jack had married into my family. Even the marital home with both our names was bought by my family… How dare he be so bold as to cheat on me? I stared at the woman in the video. She had a petite figure and fair skin in profile, looking quite young. I’d met all of Jack’s female colleagues and friends. This was clearly an unfamiliar face. I suspected she might be a hookup he found during the trip, but I wasn’t sure. After all, we were married now, and it would be hard to undo. If I rushed to divorce without solid evidence, I’d be at a disadvantage when dividing assets! Filled with resentment, I went to see my friend Mia who works in the beauty industry and showed her the video. She was shocked. “No way, weren’t you two on your honeymoon? He hooked up with another woman?” I fumed, “I know, right? This scumbag acts like such a loyal puppy in front of me, but he’s up to these tricks behind my back.” Mia pondered for a moment, then suddenly pointed at the video and said: “This woman used prosthetic makeup techniques. It’s not her real appearance.” As someone in the beauty industry, my friend easily spotted that the woman’s nose was sculpted with special effects clay. She even pointed out the details to me. I laughed bitterly. These days, women even use fake faces to cheat? How interesting. “Lena, don’t overthink it. That homewrecker will slip up eventually. You’re rich and beautiful anyway, ditching this scumbag won’t affect you much,” Mia reassured me solemnly. However, how could a bad marriage have no impact? Moreover, if I got divorced right after getting married, friends and family would surely mock me behind my back. I absolutely couldn’t let Jack get away scot-free. I had to catch solid evidence of his affair. To avoid alerting him, I acted normal when my husband came home that night, though I was already plotting how to investigate him. Unfortunately, before marriage we had agreed not to check each other’s phones to maintain trust and privacy, so I didn’t know his phone password. Before bed, I refused his advances. Jack was quite surprised. “Babe, we just got married and you’re already losing interest? Come on, look at other couples.” I made an excuse about being tired and said I wanted to turn off the lights and sleep. But my gaze was drawn to some racy videos on my husband’s phone screen. They were a series of voyeuristic short clips, all from a male point-of-view angle. The women in the videos were posed like puppets in various positions. Jack chuckled awkwardly. “This is from my buddy. Can you believe his lack of class, filming his own wife and sending it around? He’s sent me quite a few.” I couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Which buddy?” “My high school classmate Ryan. You met him at that small gathering before.” I seized the opportunity to ask to see his phone. Jack handed it over without hesitation. Sure enough, in his chat history with Ryan, there were several videos of Ryan’s wife. Although no private parts were exposed, it was still disgusting to film and share intimate videos. It was clear this couple enjoyed roleplaying, as the woman had different makeup and outfits each time. Could my husband’s affair partner be her? My suspicions grew, so I asked Jack to introduce me to his friend’s wife. To my surprise, my husband agreed readily. “Sure, it’s been a while since I’ve had dinner with Ryan anyway. I’ll set something up tomorrow so you can meet them.” At the barbecue dinner, I met Ryan’s wife for the first time. Her name was Lily. Though her features weren’t stunning, she had fair skin and ample cleavage peeking out from her camisole dress. “Nice to meet you, sister-in-law,” she greeted me shyly, blushing charmingly. I learned that she worked at the same beauty salon as my friend Mia. “Do you know Mia?” I asked. She shook her head in confusion. “I’m a beautician too, but I’ve only been working there for a month. I don’t know that sister yet.” Hearing she was a beautician, my heart skipped a beat as I recalled my friend mentioning “prosthetic makeup techniques”. So Lily also knew how to do special effects makeup and disguises… Could it be that Lily, seeking thrills but afraid of exposure, had disguised herself to hook up with my husband? I was startled by this bold idea, instantly imagining all sorts of scandalous scenarios. My face burned. I even thought of the comments under popular makeup transformation videos: “I really want to marry a makeup artist! Marrying her would be like marrying all the female celebrities in the entertainment industry.” “Getting this woman would be like having a whole harem!” Lost in wild speculation, Lily waved her hand in front of my eyes. “Sister, are you feeling unwell? Your face looks terrible.” I gave her a meaningful look and shook my head. “It’s nothing, probably just the barbecue smoke.” She quickly handed me a tissue to wipe my sweat, smiling when she saw my hands. “Sister, your hands are so beautiful, just like you. Wealth really shows, doesn’t it?” Only then did I notice how rough Lily’s hands were, quite at odds with her sweet appearance. They were clearly the hands of someone used to hard work. After some conversation, I learned that both Lily and Ryan came from poor rural backgrounds. She was a beautician and he was a manual laborer. The couple was struggling to make ends meet in the city, with no hope of affording a home anytime soon. I started to have doubts. Looking at her innocent demeanor, she probably didn’t even know her husband was sharing her videos around. Could such a naive girl really be a homewrecker who enjoys destroying other people’s marriages? To find out who that woman really was, I had an idea. If she was willing to follow me and my husband to our honeymoon resort, she must also be interested in other high-end hotels. I immediately booked a night at a new Japanese-style hot spring resort in the suburbs and sweetly said to Jack: “Honey, I didn’t get enough of our romantic getaway. This weekend, can we go soak in the hot springs?” Jack smiled. “Whatever makes you happy.” Looking at my husband’s gentle smile, I felt incredibly mocked. When it came to putting on an act, cheaters really were the best. On Saturday, we arrived as planned. This famous hot spring resort lived up to its reputation. The warm mist and blooming flowers created a perfect relaxing atmosphere that few women could resist. When we got to the hot spring, I pretended to take an urgent call and came back looking flustered. “Honey, something came up at work that I need to handle. I won’t be able to enjoy the hot spring today.” He asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Do you want me to drive you there?” I shook my head. “It’s fine, just some project issues my assistant can’t handle alone. I’ll have to work overtime today and sleep at the office. Why don’t you stay and enjoy the hot spring? No need to waste it.” Jack nodded reluctantly. “Alright babe, be safe.” I pretended to leave, but actually changed into different clothes and snuck back in. After anxiously waiting for about 15 minutes, the fish took the bait. A woman in an indigo wave-patterned kimono appeared hand-in-hand with Jack at the front desk, queuing to get their number. The woman’s kimono was loosely tied, revealing glimpses of her chest underneath. That fleeting side profile… was almost identical to the one I saw in the video! They took their number and disappeared into the crowd. In the hallway, I looked around cautiously and finally found our reserved room. I tiptoed towards the door. One step, two steps, three steps. The sliding door was pushed open a crack, warm yellow light seeping through. In the private hot spring, water splashed as Jack’s hands tightly gripped the woman’s slender waist, kissing her lips nonstop. The woman tilted her head back, enjoying his kisses while singing shamelessly like a siren. My heart sank. Because that familiar voice and petite figure were all too recognizable to me… Jack suddenly scolded her in a low voice, barely concealing his excitement. “Louder! You little minx.” 4 My friend Mia had studied music, and this was her favorite love song that she often hummed around me. My heart felt like it had been viciously torn to shreds, overwhelmed with pain. I never imagined that the two people closest to me would end up betraying me! Mia’s usually sallow face now looked as fair and delicate as jade, seemingly a decade younger. She giggled coquettishly: “Aren’t you afraid your wife will suddenly come back and catch us?” My husband possessively tightened his grip on her slim waist. “Not at all. She’s gone back to the office. It’s over 60 miles from here to downtown. She definitely won’t be back tonight.” Mia laughed softly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I specially did the prosthetic makeup your wife has seen before. How’s that? Exciting enough?” Jack pinched her nose. “Don’t remind me of that. Last time we almost got caught. Good thing I was smart enough to use my buddy’s videos as a cover.” She stuck out her tongue and quoted her favorite TV show line: “If we’re going for thrills, might as well go all out.” They looked at each other and burst into unrestrained laughter. Talk about staying in character. I gritted my teeth and continued listening to see what other schemes this pair of dogs had in store for me. “You promised to divorce her right after the wedding… Then marry me. Have you forgotten?” “Baby, don’t rush. I’m just afraid divorcing too quickly would raise suspicions. Besides, my father-in-law promised to help with my promotion. That’s not settled yet.” Jack earnestly explained. As for why he liked the plain-looking Mia, he gave the answer himself. He said he liked that she could do all kinds of makeup transformations, giving him a fresh experience every time. Jack complained, “Baby, you’re so considerate. Unlike that Lena, always with the same boring look. She never makes a sound in bed either. I’m so sick of it.” “If it weren’t for her family background, I wouldn’t have deliberately pursued her. Marrying that dull woman would be such a waste of my life.” … I rubbed my temples and laughed bitterly. All the love and tenderness had just been an elaborate scam! Since I had booked the room, I could use the app to order water or herbal baths. In my fury, I decided to “spice up” their passionate encounter. I activated the automatic hot water feature, selecting 140°F water from the overhead shower. This temperature wouldn’t kill them, but it would certainly make for a “steamy” night. While they were passionately kissing and lost in the heat of the moment, scalding hot water poured over them from head to toe. Their amorous sounds abruptly ceased. “Ahh!” “F*ck! Where did this hot water come from? It’s burning me alive!”

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In the open kitchen, Hector stood right behind me, trapping me against the counter. One hand slipped toward my apron, while the other casually grabbed a blueberry and pushed it toward my mouth. My face flushed. He smirked, his voice full of teasing. “Sis, you’ve got quite the bite.” From the dining area across the room, Mommy Jenny turned her head and looked at me, confused. “Jenny, are you cold? Why are you shivering?” I never thought that the person I had a crush on for three years would end up becoming my stepbrother. The day I moved into the Gayle family’s house with my mom, I stood by the front door, completely drenched, water dripping from my hair and clothes. Hector slowly strolled up with an empty bucket in his hand, his eyes scanning me up and down with a wicked smile. “Oops, my bad, slipped.” He paused for a second, his tone mocking. “But with how little you’re wearing, maybe you wanted to cool off anyway.” I looked down at my soaked white shirt, realizing you could faintly see my bra through the fabric. Panicked, I quickly covered myself with my arms. Hector’s grin widened, even more shameless. He definitely saw everything! The thought sent a wave of heat rushing to my face. “Hector!” Samuel rushed over. A jacket with a light scent of soap fell on my shoulders, and Samuel stood protectively in front of me. “Jenny, go change your clothes. I’ll deal with him in a bit.” I was ushered into the downstairs bathroom, my heart still racing. It was my first time seeing Hector since I’d developed feelings for him years ago. He was just as handsome as before, if not more. But he clearly wasn’t happy to see me. I guess I couldn’t blame him. After all, my mom did disrupt his family. Bam bam bam! A loud knock on the door made me jump back several steps, startled. “Hector?” I muttered nervously as his voice came from the other side. “Brought you some clothes.” My heart, which had just started to calm down, went wild again. I stared at myself in the mirror—drenched, disheveled—and didn’t dare open the door. But Hector wasn’t giving up. He started twisting the doorknob, only to find it locked. “Open the door, or I’ll kick it down.” I knew he meant it. When Hector made a threat, he always followed through. Scanning the room in a panic, I grabbed a towel and draped it over myself. By the time he reached the count of three, I rushed to the door and swung it open. Hector leaned casually against the doorframe, arms crossed, holding my clothes over his elbow. He was tall, and with a slight tilt of his head, he looked down at me. His sharp features stood out—perfect eyebrows, a strong nose with a small mole on its tip. His eyes flicked down to my chest, and his lips curled into a sneer. “What’s the point of covering up? Didn’t you want to show it off?” “It’s not like that,” I whispered defensively, the hurt in my voice bubbling to the surface. I never wanted to show off to anyone. “Jenny, stop pretending. Your mom’s a homewrecker, and you’re just a little temptress. She seduced my dad, and now you’re here trying to seduce my brother.” His brow furrowed in irritation. “Take off my brother’s jacket!” I froze. If I took it off, he’d see everything. But if I didn’t, he’d get mad. “Take it off,” he repeated. I clutched the towel tighter, my eyes shifting to the clothes he held. “Give me the dry clothes first.” Hector lifted the bundle of clothes slightly, just out of reach. I reached for them, but he jerked them back. “Want them? Beg me,” he said, tilting his head with a sly grin. “Just give them to me!” I lunged for the clothes. Hector quickly raised them higher. No matter how much I jumped, I couldn’t reach. How tall was he, exactly?! I tried again, putting even more effort into the jump, but just as I reached for them, I lost my balance, falling forward, and crashed right into Hector’s chest. “Tsk.” I heard him chuckle. “What, you trying to pull the same tricks as your mom? Think you can seduce me?” Hector’s voice dripped with sarcasm. Suddenly aware of my position, I realized my whole body was pressed up against him, my upper half especially. And worse, the towel I’d draped around myself was slipping, barely covering anything. I quickly pulled the towel back around me and turned away, hiding my face in shame. “What’s the matter? Not going to keep going?” Hector mocked, his voice cold. “You’ll never seduce my brother with tricks like that.” I wasn’t trying to seduce anyone. But no matter what I said now, Hector wouldn’t believe me. Tears welled up in my eyes, my heart aching with the weight of his misunderstanding. I knew Hector hated me, and hated my mom too. His mom had just passed away when we moved in, and my mom had taken her place. Of course he hated me. I understood that. But I couldn’t stand being so unfairly accused. “Hector!” Samuel’s voice cut through the tension. “What the hell are you doing? Standing outside a girl’s bathroom? What kind of manners are those?” “Why are you always on her side, bro?” “Jenny’s new here, you should be looking out for her. And by the way, she’s older than you, so show some respect. Hand her the clothes.” Hector shot me a glare but finally tossed the clothes to me, gritting his teeth. “Here you go, sis. Make sure you take care of them.” Samuel sighed, turning to me apologetically. “Sorry, Jenny. He’s always been a bit of a jerk. Go ahead and get changed.” I took the clothes, whispering a quiet “thank you” before closing the door. Once they were gone, I sat in the bathroom, clutching the dry clothes in my arms. Tears streamed down my face. I’d had a crush on Hector for three years, only to end up his step-sister and the target of his resentment.

After I changed into fresh clothes, Samuel mentioned that the whole family would be having dinner together later. Before moving in with the Gayles, I already knew Samuel. He was my teacher’s top student, and apparently, this connection mattered now. True to his responsible nature, he made sure to take care of me, just like my teacher had told him to. At the dinner table, my mom couldn’t keep her eyes off Mr. Gayle, as if she’d forgotten I even existed. I didn’t want to attract attention either, so I ate in silence. But of course, Mr. Gayle couldn’t resist bringing me up. “I hear Jenny’s in the same school as Samuel, what a small world,” he said, nodding approvingly at me. “If you need anything, just ask Samuel. He’s reliable.” “I will, Mr. Gayle,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. Mr. Gayle beamed, “Such a sweet girl.” No sooner had he said that than Hector made a scoffing noise, stabbing his chopsticks into his bowl. “What an act.” Mr. Gayle’s face darkened immediately. “Hector, show some respect.” Samuel gave him a warning look too. “Jenny just moved in. She’s a girl, and you should be looking after her.” I braced myself for Hector to argue, but instead, he said with a smirk, “Fine, I’ll make sure to take real good care of her from now on. Build some family bonding time.” He turned to me with a smile that made my skin crawl. Though he behaved the rest of dinner, I could feel the tension simmering underneath. Afterwards, I quickly excused myself and went back to my room. While I was unpacking, someone knocked at the door. I figured it was probably my mom, so I opened it without thinking. But when I looked up, I saw Hector standing there. I froze for a moment before instinctively trying to shut the door, but Hector wedged his foot between it and the frame. “You—” I started. Before I could finish, he forced his way inside, slamming the door shut behind him. Bang. He shut the door behind him, crossing his arms as he casually leaned against it. “What… what are you doing?” I backed away instinctively, putting as much distance between us as possible. Hector’s eyes roamed the room before they landed back on me. “Do you like my brother?” What? Where did that come from? I quickly shook my head. “Really?” Hector tilted his head. “Isn’t that why you moved in here? To get close to him?” “I didn’t,” I denied, but he wasn’t listening. He stepped closer, looking down at me. His height made it impossible to escape his gaze. “Then why’d you move in? Your mom said you weren’t too keen on the idea.” My stomach churned. There was no way I could tell him the truth — that the only reason I moved in was because I found out he’d come back home. I stayed silent, and Hector took my lack of response as an admission. His eyes narrowed. “So it’s true. Little temptress, trying to seduce my brother, huh?” I clenched my fists, trying to keep my voice steady. “You’re wrong. Now please leave.” Hector scowled, leaning in even closer. “Stop playing games with me, Jenny. Don’t you dare try to seduce him.” I bit my lip, helpless, unable to explain myself. Before Hector could say anything else, there was another knock at the door. It was Samuel’s voice on the other side. “Jenny, it’s me, Samuel. Do you have a minute?” Just as I was about to answer, Hector’s hand shot out, covering my mouth. My eyes widened in shock as I tried to pull his hand away, but his grip was firm. He leaned in, pressing me against the door, and whispered, “Shh. Don’t make a sound.” My heart raced as panic set in. Hector was so close, his warm breath against my cheek. I struggled, trying to push him away, but it only made him grin. “Jenny?” Samuel called again, sounding concerned. I tried to squirm free, but Hector held me even tighter. And then, to my utter disbelief, he kissed me. My brain short-circuited. Hector was kissing me. On the other side of the door, Samuel was waiting for a response while I was trapped, locked in a kiss with his brother. The realization made my blood rush to my face. I pushed at Hector’s chest, but he only deepened the kiss, his free hand pinning mine above my head. “Jenny, are you okay?” Samuel’s voice was more urgent now. Desperate, I mustered all my strength and kicked Hector’s leg as hard as I could. “Ow, Jenny, damn!” Hector hissed, finally letting me go, rubbing his leg with a pained expression. “Are you really that eager to open the door for him?” he teased, but his eyes darkened. “I wonder what he’d think if he saw you like this…” “What are you talking about?” I asked, horrified. He leaned in closer, his voice a low growl. “He doesn’t know you like him, does he? What do you think he’d do if he found out you’ve been in here, making out with his little brother?” Fear gripped me as I realized what he was saying. I stared up at him, wide-eyed. “You wouldn’t.” Hector didn’t respond. Instead, he slowly reached behind me, his hand hovering near the doorknob. I panicked, my voice trembling. “Please don’t open the door. Please.” His hand paused, and he glanced down at me, amused. “Begging now, huh? What happened to that bravado earlier?” His smirk faded as he pressed me closer, the heat of his body overwhelming me. If Samuel saw us like this… Hector’s fingers brushed the doorknob. “No, don’t!” I whispered desperately, trying to push him away. I could feel his grin against my ear. “Tell me what I want to hear, and maybe I won’t.” My heart pounded as I tried to think of something to say that would stop this. If Samuel opened the door, I’d be ruined — and Hector knew it. But before I could respond, Hector turned the handle. “Wait, Hector—” I started, but the door cracked open. My mind went blank. This was it. I was done for. In one swift move, Hector spun me around and pushed me forward. I stumbled out of the room, nearly tripping over my feet, just managing to catch myself in the hallway. The door clicked shut behind me, and I quickly spun around, my heart racing. Hector was nowhere to be seen. “Jenny?” Samuel asked, stepping closer. “What’s going on? Your lips… they’re so red.” I blinked in confusion, then instinctively raised a hand to my mouth. My lips were burning — probably from the kiss I hadn’t wanted to acknowledge. “I’m fine,” I blurted, trying to change the subject. “Uh, what did you need, Samuel?” He gave me a concerned look, but didn’t press the matter. “It’s not much. I just wanted to apologize for earlier. Hector can be a real jerk, but he doesn’t mean any harm. Don’t let him get to you, okay?” I nodded, feeling guilty, knowing that Hector was the least of my worries right now. Samuel handed me a glass of milk and gave me a soft smile. “If he ever bothers you again, just let me know.” After Samuel left, I opened the door to my room, and there was Hector, standing there, arms crossed, smirking like he had won something. “You…!” I stammered, too angry to form a coherent thought. He laughed softly. “You sure are obedient when it comes to him.” Then, with a mocking smile, he took the glass of milk from my hand and drank half of it in one gulp. “You…” Before I could react, he grabbed my chin, tilting my face upward, and without warning, he poured the remaining milk into my mouth. I choked, sputtering as the cold milk dripped down my chin. Hector, looking smug, wiped my face with the back of his hand as if he’d just done me a favor. Satisfied, he walked out of the room, leaving me standing there in shock. It took me a long time to calm down after that. I had a terrible feeling I’d just made things worse with him. Later that night, I lay in bed, thinking it over. My mom finally came to see me, and I expected her to offer some comfort after everything that had happened. But instead, she told me I needed to be more patient, that I should stop provoking the Gayle brothers, especially Hector. “Look, honey, I don’t have much of a choice here. Your Mr. Gayle hasn’t even agreed to marry me yet…” I bit my lip and nodded. “I understand.”

After a sleepless night, I woke up late the next morning. By the time I got downstairs, everyone was already having breakfast. Samuel wasn’t there, probably out for work, but Mr. Gayle greeted me warmly, while Mommy Jenny gave me a look of disapproval. “Jenny, sit down and have some breakfast,” Mr. Gayle said cheerfully. I hadn’t even started eating when Hector piped up from across the table, “Hey, Sis. I heard your strawberry jam is amazing. I’d love to try it.” Mommy Jenny beamed. “Oh, yes! Jenny is really good at making jam. Why don’t you go whip up a batch for Hector?” I shot Hector a wary glance. The mischievous glint in his eyes told me he was up to no good. But I was stuck. Reluctantly, I nodded and headed to the kitchen. It wasn’t difficult to make, but it took time, and at least it gave me a break from sitting at the table with them. I was halfway through the process when Hector strolled into the kitchen. He claimed he was there to “help,” but I knew better. He just wanted to bother me. Pulling out a container of blueberries from the fridge, he smirked. “I heard you like these. I bought them just for you.” Every time he called me sis, it felt like a trap. He picked out a blueberry and held it up to my lips. “Go on, taste it.” I instinctively took a step back, wary of his intentions. Hector leaned in, his voice dropping lower. “What’s wrong? You don’t trust me?” Then, in one swift motion, he pressed himself up behind me, trapping me against the counter. “You…” I started, but he grabbed my hand, pulling me closer. “Show me how you do it, Sis. Maybe I’ll cook for my dad someday.” He was too close. Way too close. The kitchen was open, and the dining table was just across from us. My mom must have heard the commotion because she chuckled from the other room. “Jenny, why don’t you show Hector how it’s done? It’s good to see siblings getting along so well!” I nodded quickly, scooting forward to put some space between us, not wanting to make a scene. I tried to tell him to step aside. “You can stand over there and watch.” “I like it better from behind,” he whispered, stepping even closer until I was practically leaning over the counter. My whole body tensed. This was getting way too out of hand. Suddenly, Hector’s arm slipped around my waist, pulling me flush against him. “Careful, Sis. You don’t want to get hurt, do you?” he said in a low voice, his breath brushing against my ear. I jumped, startled, and the spoon I was using to stir the jam fell into the pot with a clatter. “Hector, you—” I began, trying to push him away, but his hands were already sliding lower, resting on my waist. He didn’t seem to care that we were in plain view of the dining room, where my mom and Mr. Gayle were still having breakfast. “Sis, you better hurry. If the jam burns, it’ll be ruined,” Hector teased, his voice low, as if this was all some kind of joke to him. My hands shook as I grabbed the spoon again, trying to focus on stirring the pot. But with Hector standing so close, practically glued to me, it was impossible to think straight. My free hand reached out to the counter, trying to find something to ground me as I felt Hector’s other hand wander dangerously close to the edge of my apron. “Hector, stop,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “This isn’t funny.” But he only chuckled softly. “You’re right. It’s not funny at all. It’s just fun.” I grabbed his wrist, trying to stop him from moving any closer, but Hector only smirked, easily slipping his fingers from my grasp. “Relax, Sis. You’re doing great,” he said, completely ignoring my protests. My pulse quickened. I could feel the heat from the jam, the heat from his body pressing into mine. I was trapped between the stove and Hector, unable to move. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my mom and Mr. Gayle still chatting, oblivious to what was happening in the kitchen. “Hector, please,” I pleaded softly, hoping no one would notice the panic in my voice. But Hector only smiled, grabbing a blueberry from the nearby bowl and holding it up to my mouth again. “Here, eat this.” Before I could say anything, he pushed the berry between my lips. As soon as I bit down, the juice dribbled down my chin, and Hector’s grin widened. “See? Isn’t it sweet?” I swallowed hard, the flavor of the blueberry barely registering over the pounding in my chest. He lowered his voice, so quiet only I could hear. “You’re good at biting, aren’t you?” A shiver ran down my spine, and I froze, unable to process what was happening. Just then, I heard my mom call from the dining room. “Jenny, are you cold? Why are you shivering like that?

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294613”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring

Recently, I’ve discovered something strange. The daughter I painstakingly carried for nine months looks exactly like my husband’s late first love! 1、 This weekend was Eric’s middle school reunion. Eric’s family home is in another city, and since his parents passed away a few years ago, we hadn’t gone back since our wedding. This reunion seemed like a good chance to visit his old home. Originally, he was supposed to go alone, but our six-year-old daughter, Lily, insisted on going with her dad. Left with no choice, I drove there as well. Before the event started, I went to the restroom, leaving Eric to look after Lily. Some of his middle school friends came over to chat with him. From a distance, I overheard one of them say, “Is this your kid with Sophie? She looks just like her mom.” Sophie—Eric’s first girlfriend. “Wow, Eric! You really managed to win over the goddess. Why didn’t you invite us to the wedding?” It was meant as a joke, but I saw Eric’s expression change. He took a step forward and shielded Lily behind him. “You’re mistaken. Sophie passed away eight years ago.” Then, noticing me, Eric quickly led Lily over and linked his arm with mine. “This is my wife, Charisse.” I pretended not to hear the earlier conversation and smiled warmly at his friends. His friends awkwardly scratched their noses, afraid that I had overheard. They quickly changed the subject. As the night went on, the chatter and drinks flowed, but my mind kept replaying that one comment from his friend. That’s when I realized… my daughter, Lily, doesn’t really look like me. Lily’s lips and eyebrows resemble Eric’s, as if they were cut from the same mold. But while both Eric and I have almond-shaped eyes, our daughter has big, round eyes. And her face shape—Eric and I both have long, oval faces, but Lily’s face is round and square. I had always assumed she hadn’t grown into her features yet, that she just had a baby’s chubby, round face. But after what his friend said, I vaguely recalled the photo of Sophie that Eric kept in his wallet—round face, big eyes. So, Lily looks more like Eric and Sophie than me! Not like me at all. That realization sent chills down my spine. But just as quickly, I laughed at myself for overthinking. After all, Sophie had been dead for eight years, and Lily was only six. How could the daughter I carried for nine months not be mine? Eric never hid anything about Sophie from me. When we met, Sophie had already passed away. He couldn’t forget her, but under pressure from his family to marry, he reluctantly agreed to go on a blind date. At that first meeting, he told me their tragic love story, and I even teared up listening to it. I was focused on my career and wasn’t bothered by the fact that he still had feelings for Sophie. I just wanted to find a good man, and we clicked. Less than a year after we got married, we had our daughter, Lily. Our marriage has been pretty sweet, and we’ve hardly argued about anything, except for one thing—our daughter’s nickname, Lily. So, the fact that Lily doesn’t look like me? I chalked it up to a passing thought, and by the end of the reunion, I had forgotten all about it. But what happened next made me realize that maybe, just maybe… Lily really wasn’t my daughter. 2、 Lily just turned six, and after summer break, she’ll be starting first grade. We’d already enrolled her at Central Elementary School, which is conveniently close to home. According to the school’s rules, all incoming students must have a health check before starting the year. Eric was busy with work, so I didn’t mention it to him. I took Lily to New York General Hospital on my own. Lily was unusually quiet on the drive there, pouting and refusing to talk. “What’s wrong, Lily? Something bothering you? Can you tell Mommy?” She raised her chubby little face, “Mommy, Daddy won’t let me cut my hair, but I think short hair is cool. Long hair is uncomfortable! I’ve had long hair my whole life, and I want a new look for the new school year.” I had been so caught up in work that Eric had always taken care of Lily. Since she never brought it up, I hadn’t noticed that she had always had long hair. Even when it was hard to manage as a baby, Eric insisted she keep it. Now that she was older, it made sense that she’d want her own style. I didn’t want her to be upset over something small, so I said, “Alright, Lily. But you have to promise not to cry when they take your blood during the checkup, and then Mommy will take you to get your favorite haircut. Deal?” Lily was thrilled and eagerly agreed, “Deal!” The medical report wouldn’t be ready until the next day, so after the checkup, I took Lily to a nearby salon and got her the short haircut she wanted. I never expected the reaction I got from Eric when he came home that evening. The moment he saw Lily’s short hair, his face darkened, and he yelled at me. “Who told you to cut her hair?!” Lily was so scared she immediately hid behind me, nervously peeking at Eric’s angry expression. I was annoyed too. “Lily said long hair was uncomfortable, so I let her cut it. She likes it short. It’s not your hair, so why are you so mad? You’re scaring her.” Eric’s face was livid. Without even taking off his shoes, he strode past me and yanked Lily out from behind. “You like short hair?! Didn’t you promise Daddy you’d keep it long? Why did you cut it?!” Lily, just a child, had never seen her father so furious. She immediately burst into tears, crying out for me. My heart ached for her, and I quickly scooped her up, holding her close to comfort her. “What’s wrong with you? It’s just a haircut! Why are you acting like a madman? Look, you’ve scared her. I’m her mother. I can take her for a haircut if I want to.” Eric let out a cold laugh. “Now you remember you’re her mother? Have you ever taken care of her all these years?” I frowned. “Eric, didn’t we agree? After I had the baby, I wouldn’t stop working, and you promised to take care of her. Now you’re blaming me?” Eric realized he had overreacted and quickly changed his tone. “That’s not what I meant. I’ve been really stressed at work lately, and I took it out on you both. I’m sorry.” “Come here, Lily. Daddy’s sorry. Let me hug my little princess.” But Lily was too scared, still crying quietly in my arms. I ignored him, took Lily to her room, and she clung to me, asking me to stay with her for the night. I assumed she was just shaken, so I grabbed a pillow and stayed in her little room. But after telling her two bedtime stories, she still wouldn’t sleep. “Mommy, why do I have two mommies?” I frowned and gently asked, “What do you mean, Lily?” She blinked her big eyes, and what she said next hit me like a bolt of lightning. “The other night, Daddy thought I was asleep, and I heard him whispering that I’m looking more and more like my other mommy. He sounded happy, but he was crying when he said it.” “Mommy, who’s my other mommy? Why do I have two mommies?” 3、 I suppressed the anger rising inside me and managed to soothe Lily to sleep. When I got back to our bedroom, Eric was still awake. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at his wallet. I knew he was looking at Sophie’s picture again. Fury surged inside me, and I snatched the wallet from his hands. “Eric, she’s been dead for years! Can’t you let her rest in peace?!” Eric spoke through gritted teeth, “Charisse, I’m sorry about today. Let’s not fight. Lily’s asleep, and I’m not in the mood for this. Just give me back my wallet.” “Hah,” I scoffed, “You’re the one who can’t accept reality. Stop trying to drag my daughter into your fantasies! Wake up, Eric. Lily is my child, not yours and Sophie’s!” I threw the wallet at him, grabbed my pillow, and stormed off to our daughter’s room. I didn’t notice the flash of coldness in Eric’s eyes as I left. I spent the next day thinking about what Lily had said. It left me so drained I could barely focus at work. Luckily, I had my own office, so zoning out wasn’t an issue. During my lunch break, I went to New York General Hospital to pick up Lily’s medical report. Lily was perfectly healthy and ready to start school. I breathed a sigh of relief, but then something strange caught my eye. There was something off about the report. I laid it out on my desk and reviewed it carefully. What I saw made me gasp. Lily’s blood type was listed as B. But I’m type A, and Eric is type O. Based on basic biology, there’s no way we could have a child with type B blood! Suddenly, Lily’s words from last night echoed in my mind: “Why do I have two mommies?” And Eric’s friend’s joke from the reunion—“This kid looks just like Sophie.” Two mommies? An answer started forming in my mind, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it. No. It couldn’t be. Sophie’s been dead for eight years! Lily was born after I carried her for nine months. I was there. I watched the doctor cut the umbilical cord myself. There couldn’t be a mistake. But the facts were staring me in the face, and I couldn’t ignore them. The room spun as the weight of everything hit me. I sank into my chair, trying to steady myself. Could the daughter I had raised all these years not be mine? It was absurd. Impossible. I refused to believe it. In the end, I decided to go back to the hospital. Maybe there was a mistake with the tests? I took the day off work and drove straight to the hospital. But when I got there, they confirmed that the results were accurate. No mistakes. Which meant there was something wrong with Lily. I wanted to ask Eric, but when I thought about his behavior last night, something didn’t sit right. Could he be involved? The thought sent shivers down my spine. I didn’t want to believe it, but it was the only explanation that made sense. Who else had access to switch my child? But why would Eric do that? If Lily isn’t my daughter, then whose child is she? She can’t be Sophie’s—Sophie’s been dead for eight years. How could a dead woman have a child? I had to stop myself from spiraling into endless what-ifs. Instead, I gathered some of Lily’s hair from her hairbrush, as well as samples from both Eric and me, and sent them to the DNA testing center. 4、 The results would take a week. During that week, I didn’t tell anyone what I had done, not wanting to raise suspicion. Instead, I found myself constantly watching Lily, trying to find any resemblance to me. But no matter how much I looked, the only similarity between us was that we were both female. There was nothing else that tied us together. Even my family’s characteristic olive skin hadn’t passed down to Lily. She was pale, with round eyes and a square face—nothing like me. I read everything I could about genetics. Even with strong genes from one parent, children usually share at least some traits with both parents. The week dragged on in agony, but finally, the results came in. The DNA test confirmed it. Lily wasn’t my biological daughter. But Eric… he was Lily’s father. The truth hit me like a bucket of ice water. My hands trembled uncontrollably as I stared at the results. I wasn’t Lily’s mother, but Eric was her father. So who was her mother? Sophie had been dead for years, which meant only one possibility: my loving husband had cheated on me either before or after I got pregnant. And this other woman had given birth around the same time and swapped her child for mine. I had raised someone else’s child all these years. But where was my child? What had happened to her? Rage flooded my chest. I drove home as fast as I could. Eric was playing with Lily’s Barbie dolls. She was brushing the doll’s hair when she saw me. She immediately dropped the doll and ran over to me, her sweet voice calling out, “Mommy!” But all I could think about was my missing daughter. Was she out there somewhere? Was she warm, well-fed? Could she be living as happily as Lily? I knew it wasn’t Lily’s fault, but it didn’t stop me from feeling a growing distance from her. Every time I looked at her, I thought of my own daughter, suffering somewhere, without me. I forced a smile and said, “Lily, be a good girl. Mommy needs to talk to Daddy. Go play with your dolls in your room for a bit, okay?” Lily looked up at me, then over at Eric. It seemed like she sensed something was wrong, but she obediently nodded and took her doll back to her room. Once I was sure she couldn’t hear us, I turned to Eric, fury burning inside me. He was sitting on the couch, looking confused. “What’s your problem now?” I forced myself to stay calm. Instead of slapping him like I wanted to, I pulled out the DNA results and Lily’s medical report. “Explain this, Eric.” He picked up the results, and his pupils shrank. His hands trembled slightly. “This… this can’t be right.” But he quickly regained his composure, setting the papers back down and giving me a smile. “That’s impossible. Lily is the daughter you carried for nine months. The DNA center must have made a mistake.” “How could she not be related to you?” “Charisse, have you been reading too many novels? We’re not some rich, powerful family where baby swaps happen. Why would anyone swap our child?” As I stared at his calm face, my heart turned to ice. Up until that moment, I had hoped he didn’t know. But seeing him now, I realized my darkest suspicion was true. He knew. He had known all along. And worse, he was the one who had done this. Eric was still rambling on. “There must be some mistake. We’ve raised Lily together all these years. How could she not be yours?” “How about this, Charisse? Let’s go together and get another test. The three of us.” 5、 I didn’t turn down his offer. We went to a larger hospital to get a second opinion. But I didn’t believe a word he said. I had already contacted the hospital where I gave birth, and they assured me that they had never had any cases of swapped babies. I even went to the doctor who had delivered Lily. He couldn’t believe what I was telling him. When I showed him the DNA results, he was visibly shocked. We reviewed the surveillance footage from my time in the hospital, going through it frame by frame. There was no sign of any wrongdoing there. The doctor adjusted his glasses. “Mrs. Williams, I’m so sorry about this, but I can personally vouch for this hospital. We’re a reputable institution. There’s no way a child could have been swapped here. But after you gave birth, you transferred to Riverside Family Care Center. Maybe you should check there. You might find your biological daughter.” The doctor had a point. It couldn’t have happened in the hospital. When I gave birth, I nearly died. After an emergency C-section, Eric had taken care of Lily. He had the time and opportunity to swap our daughter. But I still couldn’t understand why. Why would Eric do such a thing? And if Lily wasn’t our child, then who was she? I contacted Riverside Family Care Center next, but unfortunately, the video records from that time had long been lost. I was overwhelmed with exhaustion as I dragged myself home. Eric and Lily were waiting for me at the dinner table. The sight of a table full of food didn’t stir my appetite at all. Without warning, Eric set the new DNA results down in front of me. “See? I told you the hospital must have made a mistake. I’ve heard online that some shady DNA centers give everyone false results just to make a quick buck. Maybe that’s what happened to you.” Lily stared up at me with wide eyes. “Mommy, don’t you want me anymore?” My heart felt like it was going to burst. I forced the softest smile I could manage and said, “Mommy would never stop loving you, Lily. You’re too young to understand what’s going on right now. Why don’t you go back to your room, sweetheart?” Once Lily was out of earshot, I turned to Eric with a steely glare. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you tell her that? This is between you and me. Why drag a little girl into it?” Eric smiled and pushed the fake DNA results toward me again. “It wasn’t my choice. Lily’s been really upset these past few days. She thinks you don’t want her anymore. She hasn’t been eating well. I had to tell her the truth.” “You know she’s just a child. How do you expect her to process the idea that the mother who raised her might not be her biological mother?” “Look, the test results are out. Let’s stop fighting. I told you, the hospital made a mistake.” I scoffed. “You really think I’ll believe the results from a test you rigged? I didn’t tell you this earlier, but I sent all three of our DNA samples to a trusted lab. The results came back saying you and Lily are related, but she’s not mine. What lab would only fake one side of a test?” “Things have gone too far, Eric. You’d better tell me where my daughter is, or I swear I’ll take this to the police.” 6、 Eric’s face stiffened when he heard my words, but he quickly composed himself, still holding onto that feeble DNA test result. “Charisse, what’s going on with you? Are you under too much pressure at work, imagining things? Lily is our daughter, how could you even doubt her?” Before I could respond, Lily’s cries interrupted us. She ran over, clutching my leg. “Mommy, Mommy, don’t leave me. I’ll be good—please don’t leave me!” Her cries pierced my brain like needles. I had no choice but to pause the conversation with Eric, picking her up and gently soothing her. “Mommy’s not leaving you, Lily. Why would you think that? You’re Mommy’s precious baby. It’s not like what you’re thinking. Mommy and Daddy just have something to work through, but we would never stop loving you.” With Lily’s crying, Eric and I didn’t resolve anything that night. Lily clung to me, afraid that I’d leave her the moment she closed her eyes. She insisted on sleeping with me. I was just as eager to avoid sharing a room with Eric, so I took my pillow and blanket and went to Lily’s room. Even though Lily was exhausted, she was restless and wouldn’t fall asleep, even after I told her several stories. “Mommy, will I become an unwanted child?” I kissed her forehead. “What a silly thought, sweetheart. What mommy would ever abandon her own daughter?” “But Daddy said… Daddy said you don’t think I’m your real daughter anymore. And that you’re going to bring home a new sister. When that happens, you won’t love me anymore. You’ll leave me.” Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke. My heart ached as I held her tightly, emotions swirling inside me. Honestly, I knew Lily was innocent in all this, but every time I thought about how my real daughter might be suffering somewhere because of her, the pain became unbearable. I hated Eric for being so despicable. This was between us, yet he dragged an innocent child into it, trying to use her as leverage against me. But he was wrong—nothing could throw me off course. Lily peeked up from my embrace. “Mommy, please don’t leave me. Daddy’s been acting weird. He says strange things when he’s asleep, and he won’t let me cut my hair. I don’t want to live with just Daddy.” Weird things? I latched onto those words, my curiosity piqued. Because of work, Eric had always been the one to put Lily to bed. “What strange things has Daddy been saying, Lily? Can you tell Mommy?” Lily furrowed her little brow, thinking hard before quietly saying, “Daddy says he misses Mommy. Sometimes he even cries, saying how cruel Mommy was for leaving us. But you’re right here with us, Mommy.” Her voice grew smaller, and she nestled closer to me. “Mommy, Daddy is really strange. I don’t want to live with him alone. He even gives me baths when you’re not around and tells me not to tell you.” “What?”

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In my last life, Mrs. Margaret White, my teacher, led the bullying against me, simply because I scored better than the boy she favoured. She spread rumours in class, saying I cheated and was involved in a relationship. She would say, “Some people’s marks have suddenly shot up, but we all know how they got there.” She’d add, “Some people spend all day not studying and only know how to lead people astray!” She stoked the flames, getting the whole class to turn against me, and in the end, it drove me to depression and forced me to drop out. This time, however, I was back on the day she started spreading the rumour about me cheating. I raised my hand and said: “Miss, last time I handed in my homework, I saw you sitting on Max Turner’s lap. Is that how you improve his grades?” The mock exam results had come out, and I had moved up thirty places. I’d gone from the bottom of the class to the middle. Alice Bennett stared at my paper, “Liv, you’re smashing it!” Alice is my best friend, always encouraging me. We were inseparable in school. In my previous life, when I was depressed and dropped out, she tried her hardest to convince me to stay. After I took my own life, she nearly fainted from crying. Now that I had another chance at life, I looked at the test paper on my desk, but I wasn’t particularly happy. I knew trouble was coming my way. Mrs. White strode into the room, her stiletto heels clicking as she swayed her hips. “I’ve put the class rankings on the board. You can check after class.” “But first, I want to talk about two students, Olivia Williams and Max Turner.” Mrs. White walked over to Max’s desk. Max sat alone, near the front. She pretended to comfort him, patting him on the shoulder. “You didn’t do so well this time, Max. Olivia’s overtaken you.” Max nodded, but from where I sat, I could see him nudge Mrs. White’s lower back with his elbow. Disgusting. Alice immediately jumped to my defence, “What’s that supposed to mean, Mrs. White?” Mrs. White snorted, her expression turning condescending. “Students falling behind is fine. As the form tutor, it’s my job to focus on those who need to catch up. As long as they want to learn, it’s no problem.” “But what concerns me are those with ulterior motives.” “How someone’s grades improved so quickly, I’m not sure. I don’t want to investigate, and frankly, I’m too tired to bother. I’ll spare her the embarrassment by not naming names.” I stared at Mrs. White as she twisted the truth on the podium, and it brought me right back to the last time. Once or twice, I had outscored Max Turner. She began calling me out during assemblies, saying, “Some people’s marks have suddenly shot up, but we all know how they got there.” Then I borrowed a book from the library, and the student council president, Samuel Turner, helped me. Mrs. White saw this. She spread another rumour, “Some people never study and just spend their time seducing others!” She led the class in isolating me. In lessons, she wouldn’t ask me questions. After class, she refused to mark my homework. Even when I handed it in, she wouldn’t grade it. It got worse—she stopped giving me study materials, and when the school counted the class roll, I wasn’t included. Teenagers can be simple and cruel. When a teacher dislikes a student, how can that student have any friends? At that point, Alice was the only one who still talked to me, but Mrs. White eventually transferred her to another class. After that, I was completely alone. Rumours spread, the teacher hated me, my classmates bullied me, and eventually, I dropped out due to depression and ended my life. And all of it because I scored better than Max, the teacher’s favourite. This time, the story started the same way. So I raised my hand and said, “Miss, last time when I handed in my homework, I saw you sitting on Max Turner’s lap. Is that how you improve his grades?” Mrs. White’s face went pale. “What on earth are you talking about, girl?” “Not only do you cheat, but you’re a liar too!” I tilted my head, feigning innocence. “Miss, what are you on about?” “Weren’t you unsteady on your feet, and Max was just helping you out? You accidentally ended up on his lap, didn’t you?” Mrs. White’s face flushed from blue to white, then back again. “Yes, I wasn’t steady on my feet.” Of course, that wasn’t what had happened, but my intention was only to give her a little warning. Still, the students started buzzing. After all, we were teenagers. Mrs. White quickly shouted, “Alright, enough! Quiet down, let’s get back to class!” After the lesson, Mrs. White hurried out without even stopping to talk to Max. Once she left, my classmates swarmed around me. “Olivia, is what you said really true?” “Did Mrs. White and Max actually… you know?” “She does walk like that… I always thought she was a bit much.” I calmly packed my books away. Alice was watching me with concern. I finished tidying up and grabbed Alice’s arm, “Let’s head to the toilets.” As we walked away, I turned to the nosy crowd. “The teacher said she was just unsteady on her feet. That’s all I know, so don’t drag me into it. Mrs. White already doesn’t like me.” Then I pulled Alice along, leaving the gossip behind. When someone spreads rumours about you, the best way to fight back is to start an even bigger, juicier rumour—especially if it’s not entirely false. Mrs. White was implying that my grades came from cheating, so I hinted at something just as inappropriate. Students love gossip. Even the slightest hint of a scandal draws them in. And what’s more explosive than a cheating scandal? A teacher-student affair. I had planted the seed. If they were curious, they could find out for themselves. Let’s just hope Mrs. White keeps her secrets well hidden from these curious teenagers. On the way to the toilets, Alice Bennett seemed like she had something she wanted to say to me, but she kept hesitating. When we finally got to the toilets, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Liv, I’m worried Mrs. White is going to come after you.” “She won’t. Why would she, unless she has something to hide?” “But… did she really sit on Max’s lap that day…?” I quickly shushed her. “Careful! Walls have ears!” Alice looked around nervously and nodded, grabbing my hand as we hurried out of the toilets. High school is supposed to be wonderful, the time we’ll remember forever. Alice tugged me along, glancing back to urge me. “Hurry up, we’re going to be late for class!” I felt a twinge of guilt. I was using her. It wasn’t just that walls might have ears; they did have ears. I had noticed there were other girls in the next stall when I mentioned Mrs. White. I said it on purpose—I wanted her reputation ruined. I wanted her to go through exactly what I went through. Every bit of it.

Rumours about Mrs. White began to spread throughout the school. She tried to change her appearance, dressing in plain, casual clothes and swapping her stilettos for flats. It seemed like she was attempting to repair her image. But, of course, the rumours only grew. “Mrs. White’s not wearing heels anymore. Do you reckon she’s pregnant?” “Definitely. My mum wore flats and loose clothes when she was pregnant with my brother.” “So, who do you reckon the father is?” “Do you even need to ask?” The students whispered and laughed, filling the corridors with gossip. Mrs. White clearly heard them, as she yelled for everyone to be quiet, dragging the group of whisperers outside for a telling-off. You could hear her scolding them down the whole corridor. The next day, she returned to her usual attire, as if to prove she wasn’t pregnant. But it was useless. Mrs. White no longer called Max into her office as often. Instead, she frequently summoned me. “Clean the office, Olivia.” “Take this pile of books to Mrs. Thompson’s office.” “Get me some water.” She treated me like a servant. Worse still, she always made me do these tasks during lessons. At St. Edmund’s, we had weekly quizzes for every subject, and the form tutor invigilated. Mrs. White waved my quiz results in the air as she stood at the front of the class. “Some students keep visiting the teacher’s office, but instead of improving, their grades are slipping.” Then she held up Max Turner’s paper alongside another student’s. “Look at these students who don’t spend their time in the office. As long as they want to learn, they’ll make progress.” “But some students like to pull stunts to get the teacher’s attention. And after all that attention, they still let the teacher down, even turning on them. It breaks my heart!” It was a clever move. I couldn’t attend lessons properly, which meant I couldn’t keep up. Naturally, my grades started slipping. But, of course, no one else knew that she was pulling me out of class to do her errands. Just then, Mrs. Holy Thompson, the head of discipline, walked past our classroom. Seeing me standing, she asked, “What’s going on here, Margaret?” Mrs. White let out a dramatic sigh, “Well, Olivia’s grades were improving, but now they’re dropping again. I’m worried about her.” Mrs. Thompson took a look at my quiz paper and frowned. “Olivia, this isn’t good enough.” She handed me some extra revision papers. “Come to my office after class. I’ve got a set of past papers for you. Make sure to copy them and share them with the class. It’ll be good practice for everyone.” I nodded. “Thank you, Mrs. Thompson.” Mrs. Thompson was a well-respected teacher in her fifties. Even the headmaster deferred to her. She smiled and left, leaving Mrs. White fuming. “Well, thank Olivia, everyone. Without her, where would we get these past papers?” Mrs. White’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. But the class wasn’t having any of it. They sincerely shouted, “Thanks, Olivia!” I pressed my lips together and gave a small bow. “Sorry for holding the class back.”

I thought this would be the end of it, but after school, Max Turner blocked my way. I secretly turned on the recording device in my pocket. “What do you want?” Behind him were a few of The Ashford Boys, puffing on cigarettes. Max stepped closer. “What do I want?” “You don’t know what you’ve done? You don’t know who you’ve crossed?” I shouted back that I had no idea. One of The Ashford Boys let out a low whistle. “You’ve crossed Lord Turner!” “Gutsy, aren’t you, going up against Max?” I turned to Max, “So, you’re ‘Lord Turner,’ then?” Max lit a cigarette, smirking. “Who else would it be?” Just then, the headlights of a car shone into the alley. Mrs. White stepped out. She sashayed over to Max, who quickly put his arm around her waist. The boys whistled and cheered, calling her “Mrs. White” and even “sis-in-law.” Mrs. White smirked. “Don’t call me that. You’re not my students, are you? Only Max gets to call me that.” She shot me a cold look before turning to Max. “Do what you want, just don’t kill her.” I understood her meaning clearly—anything goes, as long as I don’t end up dead. Mrs. White drove away, and Max’s group closed in. One of the boys dumped a cup of milkshake over my head, and before I could react, someone grabbed my hair, pulling me to the ground. They dragged me across the pavement, throwing my books out of my bag and stomping on them, spitting and cursing. Max gave the order, “Strip her, take some photos.” A few of them started ripping at my clothes, pulling off layer after layer until only my undergarments remained. I struggled and kicked, and they kicked me back. Suddenly, a police siren blared in the distance, and Max’s group panicked, snapping a few photos before running off. Once they were gone, I scrambled to put my clothes back on and checked my recording device. Still intact. When I looked up, I saw Samuel Turner standing at the end of the alley, watching me. In my past life, he had only helped me pick up a book in the library, but that was enough for Mrs. White to accuse me of seducing him and cheating on my exams. The rumours had destroyed my reputation. Seeing him now, I felt a mix of guilt and confusion. I had never meant to drag him into this. But right now, I must’ve looked a mess. “Did they leave?” Samuel asked quietly. I nodded, realising that he must have been the one to scare them off. He nodded towards the recording device in my hand. “Is it broken?” I shook my head. “It’s fine.” “Hand it over, then.” I stared at him, confused. He adjusted his glasses. “It’s mine. Give it back.” Samuel took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. I suddenly noticed the striking resemblance between him and Max. Especially in their eyes. “I helped you. Don’t you think you owe me something?” I had a suspicion about what he wanted, but I wasn’t sure. I decided to take a gamble. “You want to destroy Max Turner. We can work together, but I’m not giving up control.” Samuel blinked in surprise, then burst out laughing. “Whoever said you were stupid? You’re sharper than I thought.” “Alright. How do you want to work together?” “I want Mrs. White to lose everything. And as for whatever Max does along the way, I’ll record it all and hand it to you.” Samuel held out his hand. “Deal?”

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The daughter I cherished like a treasure turned out to be a fraud. My real daughter, however, was thrown into a homeless camp by my husband. While that little snake, Chloe, paraded around in designer clothes, dripping in jewels, my daughter was dressed in rags, barely scraping by. Chloe was sent abroad for an Ivy League education, while my daughter remained illiterate. When my daughter finally escaped the wolves and returned home to seek her family, Lucas sent her away without telling me, shoving her out of our lives. Heartbroken, my daughter walked through the storm, only to be struck by a drunk truck driver. When I discovered the truth, I wanted to seek justice for her. But before I could, Chloe pushed me into the freezing waters of the Hudson River. In my last moments, I saw Lucas holding hands with Megan Stone, with Chloe clinging tightly to them. “Thank you for raising my daughter so well,” Lucas said with a smirk. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment Grace was born. This time, I would protect my precious daughter at all costs!

I struggled desperately in the ice-cold water of the Hudson. Until the moment I drowned, no one came to save me. I felt my soul leave my body. I was so unwilling to die, so full of hatred! Lucas, the man I loved deeply, had been cheating on me for years. The daughter I cherished like my own was actually Lucas and Megan Stone’s illegitimate child. Megan’s wild laughter echoed in my ears even in death. Before my eyes, I saw nothing but blood—just like the scene when my real daughter, Grace, died, her blood pooling around her lifeless body. If I could do it all over again, I would take revenge—for myself, and for Grace! Suddenly, I heard the cry of a newborn baby… I forced my heavy eyelids open. The blinding white ceiling, the smell of disinfectant. Was I in the hospital? I wasn’t supposed to be alive; I had drowned in the river, hadn’t I? I glanced around. The old-fashioned decor—it looked familiar. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen and couldn’t help but cry out. “Sweetheart, you’re awake! You scared me to death!” Mom? I focused my vision. It was my mother, but much younger than I remembered her. Wait… had I been reborn? Ignoring the pain, I bolted upright in bed. “Mom, where is my daughter?” In my past life, Lucas swapped my baby while I was weak and unconscious from childbirth. Not this time. Not again. My mother gently wiped the sweat from my forehead as I grabbed her arm, pleading. “Mom, where is my baby?” Unaware of my panic, she tried to soothe me. “Sweetie, don’t worry. The nurse took her for a checkup. She’ll be back soon.” “You should lie down and rest. You just had a baby; don’t overexert yourself.” I stared straight into my mother’s eyes. “Where’s Lucas?” She smiled. “Oh, you know him, he’s obsessed with Grace. The nurse only took her for a routine check, but he insisted on going with them.” What? My heart felt like it was in a vice, and I couldn’t breathe. No! I won’t let him get away with it this time. Ignoring the pain, I jumped out of bed, barefoot, and ran toward the door. My mother tried to stop me, but I sidestepped her and rushed to the door, only to collide with someone coming in. It was Lucas! He cradled the baby protectively, glaring at me with irritation. Seeing how he held Chloe so tenderly, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Even after being given a second chance, he had still won. Rage shot through me like wildfire. If my anger could take physical form, Lucas would have been reduced to ashes on the spot. “Melissa, the floor’s cold. Get back in bed,” Lucas said, faking concern. He thought he had fooled me, but I could still see the malice and impatience in his eyes. My mother caught up, pulling me back into bed. Once I was settled, Lucas laid Chloe beside me. “She’s hungry,” he said. On cue, Chloe started crying. I stared coldly at her. This was the child who had stolen Grace’s life, stolen all my love and resources, only to repay me by pushing me into the river. There wasn’t a creature in the world more vile than Chloe, this snake in the grass. Slowly, I reached out, my hand hovering over her neck. I wanted to strangle her right then and there. Lucas was lost in his own thoughts, smiling, unaware of what I was about to do. But my mother, who had been watching me closely, gasped. “Melissa, that’s not how you hold a baby. You need to support her neck.” “She’s crying because she’s hungry,” Lucas chimed in, smiling as he picked Chloe up, trying to place her in my arms. I turned away, lying down on the bed. “She can have formula. I’m tired. I need to rest.”

I closed my eyes, and all I could see was the blood covering the ground from the moment my daughter died. I won’t let any of these monsters get away with this. I’m playing the long game now. Lucas Anderson, the man my father handpicked, was nothing more than a glorified errand boy at my dad’s company. Maybe it was my family’s wealth that gave him the perfect cover—everyone thought he was the ideal husband. Everyone, including me, believed I had found the best man on earth. It wasn’t until the end that I learned the truth. Lucas called it “suffering in silence for a better future.” But that future was never with me—it was always with Megan Stone. Megan had even timed her pregnancy to align with mine, delivering early by C-section to swap our babies. Chloe, the little snake, was born small and frail, premature. I had spent my last life nursing her back to health, pouring every bit of my energy into her. She grew strong enough to push me into the freezing Hudson River. Lucas had been my father’s top choice, a man he believed could help carry the burden of the family business. He had chosen Lucas from among the scholarship recipients he had sponsored, thinking Lucas had the potential to succeed. Dad said Lucas was handsome, disciplined, and hardworking—a man with promise. Mom, however, insisted I should marry someone from an equally wealthy family. But I was blinded by Lucas’s charm, convinced he was the one for me. I even talked my mom into supporting our marriage. Looking back now, I was completely blind and foolish. I never saw the rotten core underneath Lucas’s polished exterior. As for when Lucas and Megan started their affair, I have no idea. But Megan’s due date was after mine, so he had to have been cheating on me while I was pregnant. Once I got pregnant, my focus shifted entirely to Grace. I slowly handed over control of the family business to Lucas, thinking he could handle it. This time around, Lucas won’t get a single cent from the Evans fortune. Once I recovered physically, I moved into the luxury Park Avenue Postpartum Retreat I had reserved. Back when we got married, we didn’t dig deep enough into Lucas’s past. We didn’t realize he had been pining after Megan all along. I contacted Uncle George, the head of security at Evans Family Enterprises, to dig into Lucas’s life thoroughly. The fact that he had managed to evade a professional background check told me he had planned this for years. Lucas claimed to have no family—his parents were dead, and he didn’t keep in touch with relatives. My parents and I had pitied him, bending over backward to make him feel like part of our family. I had even suppressed my privileged upbringing, afraid of hurting his fragile ego. Looking back now, I realize I was nothing but a fool. A man who could abandon his own daughter to a homeless camp deserves nothing less than to lose everything and end up alone. Business was busy, and most of the time it was just me and that little snake, Chloe. Watching her, this ungrateful, feral child, made me clench my fists just to stop myself from choking her. Meanwhile, my true daughter, Grace, was out there suffering, while this monster lay in the most luxurious postpartum retreat money could buy. Maybe it was the icy glare in my eyes, but Chloe started to cry. And then—two loud sounds. She had soiled herself. In my past life, I had pushed through my disgust, changing her diapers and cleaning her up time and time again. But not this time. This time, I didn’t care if she got a rash that covered her entire face. I had already refused to breastfeed her, and even though Lucas tried to hide it, I could see the resentment in his eyes. He was already planning his revenge, no doubt. Too bad for him—this time, I’m the one keeping score. Without a penny to his name, Lucas, the dependent son-in-law, couldn’t survive without me. No matter how angry he was, he had no choice but to swallow it. My parents, always so thoughtful, had sent high-end, imported baby formula. But I rejected it outright. I insisted on the cheaper kind. Even the staff at the retreat gave me strange looks. They wondered how someone as wealthy as me could be so stingy with a newborn. Some of them whispered that I must really favor boys over girls to act this way.

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On Valentine’s Day, I caught my wife cheating with her coworker. To get revenge, I paid a prostitute with syphilis to seduce the coworker. After succeeding, my wife tried to reconcile with me. But her test results came back positive – how could I touch her now? I got home early from work on Valentine’s Day afternoon, having prepared steak, flowers, and wine in advance. Everything was ready – I was just waiting for my wife Emily to get home so we could have a romantic candlelit dinner. But over an hour had passed, and Emily still hadn’t arrived. When I called her, she said the company was making them work overtime, then quickly hung up. I felt instantly deflated and resigned myself to eating the steak alone while scrolling on my phone. Suddenly, I saw a post from Emily’s coworker on Instagram: “Happy Valentine’s Day! The company let everyone off early today! May all lovers be together~” My wife had lied to me? Thinking back, Emily had been acting strangely lately. Our usual twice-weekly intimacy had been non-existent for over a month. Every time I tried to touch her, she would refuse, using work exhaustion as an excuse. I had been reduced to taking care of my own needs. Come to think of it, Emily had also been going to the gym more often lately, buying lots of new makeup, and putting more effort into her appearance than before. All at once, suspicion arose in my mind. The more I thought about it, the more things didn’t add up. I instantly lost my appetite for the steak, feeling a lump in my throat. I picked at the food halfheartedly, then gave up and sprawled on the couch, lost in thought. It was nearly midnight when Emily finally came home. She seemed surprised to see me still awake. “Why are you up so late?” she asked. “I was waiting for you to get home. I can’t sleep when you’re not here,” I said, probing, “What’s the deal with your boss, making you work overtime on Valentine’s Day?” “Ugh, don’t even ask. A last-minute project came up, we had to stay late working on a PowerPoint. I’m going to take a shower,” she said, heading straight for the bathroom. Hearing her turn on the shower, I stripped off my clothes and followed her in. I have to admit, Emily has an incredible body. Even though she’s in her 30s, her abs are still tight since she’s never had kids. Water droplets ran down her back, making her already fair skin look even more delicate. I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind. After so many years together, I knew all her sensitive spots by heart. Just as I was about to make my move, she stopped me. “Not tonight, it’s late and I’m tired. Another time, okay?” With that, she unceremoniously shooed me out. I felt a surge of emotion, but decided to let it go for now. After Emily finished her shower and got into bed, I ran my hand up her thigh. Her skin was incredibly soft and smooth after the shower, with the scent of body wash lingering. I instantly got aroused. But Emily rejected me again. This time I couldn’t hold back: “How long has it been since we’ve been intimate? It’s Valentine’s Day, I just wanted to be close to you, but you’re acting like this.” Seeing my anger, Emily quickly changed her tune. She came over and gave me a kiss. “I’m sorry baby, I really have been exhausted lately. I promise I’ll make it up to you soon.” I had no choice but to give up. As I lay in bed that night, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. I kept wanting to check Emily’s phone for any secrets. Suddenly I remembered that I had installed a dashcam in Emily’s car a while back. To test it out, I had even downloaded a cloud app on my phone that let me view past footage. I opened the app and scrolled through the timeline. At quitting time, I saw Emily indeed start her car, but then drive straight out to the suburbs. She finally stopped in front of a secluded hotel. A man had been waiting there and immediately embraced her when she arrived. Then the car shut off and the screen went black. I recognized that man – I had seen him once before when I went to pick up Emily at her office. She had introduced him as Steve, their company’s new VP who had just returned from overseas. Even back then, I had noticed how his eyes kept wandering to the female employees. And this Steve was a married man too! Seeing this footage, I felt like I had been doused with ice water. My blood ran cold from my spine to my heart. I was now 99% certain that Emily was cheating.

Emily and I had been together for 9 years, from falling in love in college to getting married. Though we had occasional arguments, we were happy most of the time. Thinking back on the joyful moments with Emily, then imagining her seeking pleasure with another man, an immense pain washed over me. Followed by anger. Part of me wanted to yank Emily out of bed and confront her loudly. I also wanted to pummel that cheating couple with my fists. But 9 years of love made it impossible for me to just let go. Caught in an internal struggle of pain and conflicting emotions, I didn’t sleep all night. In the morning when Emily got up, she acted like nothing was wrong. Seeing that I was still in bed, she even expressed concern. I said I wasn’t feeling well and wanted to rest for the day. She made me breakfast, gave me some reminders, then left for work. After calling in sick to work, I sat numbly on the bed, staring at the breakfast Emily had prepared. I tried to eat, but it tasted like sawdust. I felt incredibly torn. On one hand was 9 years of love and memories. On the other was concrete evidence of cheating. My mind kept wavering between confronting her and keeping quiet. After sitting there all morning, I decided to drive to that hotel to check it out. Following the GPS, I found the hotel – it really was in a remote location. I went to the front desk and made up a story about finding a lost bag in the stairwell, asking her to take a look. Once we were in the stairwell, I came clean about my real purpose, asking if she could help me check the records for my wife or Steve. Before she could respond, I took out $1000 in cash that I had prepared. “Don’t worry, I called you here because there are no cameras. I just want to confirm something. I won’t cause any trouble, and I promise this won’t affect you at all. I’m already planning to divorce her,” I said. The young receptionist looked hesitantly at the money. I could see her wavering, so I pushed the cash into her hand and stepped back, saying “You go ahead and check. I’ll wait here.” The receptionist pocketed the money and left. She returned shortly after, showing me Steve’s check-in information. They had booked a short-stay room. The receptionist even showed me security camera footage of the two of them entering the room, arms around each other. After seeing that, my last shred of hope was extinguished. Now I was 100% certain Emily was cheating! I thanked the receptionist and stumbled back to my car to drive home. Emily was already back when I got there. She asked where I’d been, and I made up an excuse. I was still debating whether to confront Emily when she spoke first: “Remember that new VP at our company, Steve? He’s pretty great – young and accomplished. Our team had a big screwup on a project recently, and he helped us fix it.” “Mmm.” Yeah, he’s so great he even got into your pants! I thought bitterly. Emily has always been somewhat introverted and not very talkative. This man must have used work as an excuse to get close to her! At that moment, I felt like an enraged beast, my features contorting with anger. Emily didn’t notice my reaction and kept talking. Looking at my chattering wife, I decided: I won’t confront her! I’m going to get revenge on that man instead.

Over the next few days, I first reached out to my childhood friend Alex. He works as a manager at a nightclub and knows all sorts of shady characters, including access to prostitutes. My revenge plan was to use his connections to find a high-class prostitute to seduce Steve, then tell his wife and kids. I wanted him to experience the pain of a broken family. After explaining my plan to Alex, he said I was being foolish and should just tell Steve’s wife directly. But I still hoped Emily would come to her senses. I didn’t want her to get hurt if this blew up with Steve’s family. Alex shook his head at my reasoning but respected my wishes. He showed me photos of several prostitutes. I have to admit, these women were stunning, each with their own unique charm. But Alex told me these women mainly did straightforward transactions for quick money. They might not be skilled enough to pull off a seduction scheme. Then he changed tack, “Actually, there is one perfect candidate, but…” Seeing him hesitate, I urged him to continue. “The thing is, she has syphilis.” Hearing that, I instantly lit up. This was absolutely perfect! Seeing my insistence, Alex didn’t want to get too involved in this kind of thing. He gave me the contact info for this prostitute named Rose and told me he’d let her know I’d be in touch. Alex is a trustworthy guy. We’ve known each other since childhood and I understand his character well. The next day, I met Rose at a coffee shop. From a distance, I was struck by how eye-catching she was. She had delicate features on a small oval face, with fair, tender skin that was stunningly beautiful. There was even a hint of scholarly refinement in her demeanor. Wearing a light blue dress, she turned heads as passersby mistook her for a university beauty queen. I was momentarily dazed looking at her, but then remembered her condition and snapped out of it. After Rose sat down, I explained my intentions directly. Hearing my proposal, she looked troubled and hesitant, saying it felt unethical. But when I said the man had destroyed my family, and that I could pay $50,000 upfront and another $50,000 after, Rose reconsidered. After mulling it over, she couldn’t resist the financial temptation and agreed. Then Rose shared her own story with me. She came from an ordinary family, but her beauty attracted boys from a young age. She started dating in middle school and neglected her studies. She dropped out of high school to work with her boyfriend at the time. After moving away, her boyfriend developed a gambling addiction and racked up huge debts. To make quick money to help pay off his debts, Rose turned to prostitution. Her looks helped her earn a lot quickly. Some clients would pay extra to skip protection, which she agreed to for the money. But when she came down with a persistent fever and tested positive, it was too late for regrets. By then her boyfriend had run off with all her money. Rose agreed to help me because she wanted to earn more to leave for her parents, knowing her time might be limited. Hearing her story brought tears to Rose’s eyes. I could only comfort her, realizing she had suffered greatly too. With Rose on board, the next step was to create an opportunity.

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In my previous life, I secretly aborted a son with XYY syndrome behind my husband’s family’s back, resulting in my inability to bear children ever again. When my husband found out, he beat me to death. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day of the prenatal checkup, facing the doctor who was advising me to terminate the pregnancy. “Mrs. Bennett, we still advise you to consider your options carefully,” the doctor looked at me with a serious expression. I was stunned for a long while before realizing that I had been reborn. Perhaps heaven saw that I died with unfinished business and gave me a second chance. The doctor didn’t speak again, and the examination room fell into silence. “Doctor, I want to keep this child.” I spoke up. In this new life, I didn’t want to harm my body because of this child. I wanted to live for myself. If they wanted to keep this demon, then let them keep it. “You should know that this child’s genes carry antisocial personality traits. It will be a burden on your family if born.” My mother-in-law burst into the examination room, glaring at me. “Aria, don’t you dare harm my grandson again!” I looked at my mother-in-law and husband who had suddenly appeared, and realized that they had been reborn too. I smiled and clung to my husband’s arm. “Honey, we’re having a son! Aren’t you happy?” Derek looked at me suspiciously, confused by my reaction. In my previous life, didn’t I insist on aborting the child? My mother-in-law spat and grabbed my arm tightly, pushing me out of the examination room. I smiled apologetically at the doctor and closed the door behind me. My mother-in-law and husband each grabbed one of my arms, afraid I would break free and abort the child. They cursed and muttered as we left the hospital, only letting go when we got to the car. “Mom, honey, I’ve thought it through. I’ve decided to keep this child.” I looked at them sincerely, not hiding the fact that I had also been reborn. “In my past life, I was misled by the doctor to harm my own child. How could I not know what my son is like!” “It’s my blessing to give the Powell family a grandson.” I smiled at them ingratiatingly. “Baby, I’m sorry. Mommy will take good care of you this time.” I lovingly rubbed my belly. Seeing my obedient demeanor, my mother-in-law and husband, though still half-skeptical, joyfully began sharing the good news with relatives and friends. “My third son’s wife is pregnant, it’s definitely going to be a big, healthy boy! My eldest son’s wife should hurry up too!” My mother-in-law shouted loudly into the phone with her coarse voice. I envied my sister-in-law very much. My sister-in-law had a very successful career. Ryan, Derek’s older brother, was far less business-savvy than his wife, so he simply quit his job, claiming he could take care of his wife’s daily needs. He couldn’t bear to let go of his wife as an endless source of income, yet felt emasculated being with her. A few months after my death in my previous life, he had an illegitimate child. He joined forces with Derek and their mother to kill my sister-in-law, then brought his mistress home openly, and the whole family lived a lavish life using my sister-in-law’s hard-earned money. My sister-in-law valued my education and wanted to make me her business partner. In my previous life, Derek prevented it, believing that women should stay at home and cook, not become career-oriented like my sister-in-law. I wasn’t sure how much of their past lives my mother-in-law and husband remembered, nor was I certain of their plans for this life. The Powell family were all sly foxes. I decided to observe first, to avoid alerting them prematurely.

My belly grew larger and larger like a balloon. My mother-in-law watched me every moment except when she was sleeping. She was afraid I would do something to harm the child. I pretended to be obedient. My belly was a full circle larger than other pregnant women at the same stage, making even daily walking very difficult. Seeing how docile I had been these past few months, not missing any of the prescribed supplements, and now having such difficulty moving around, my mother-in-law finally felt at ease enough to leave me locked in the house alone while she went out to play cards. I finally had a chance to message my sister-in-law. Calculating the months, Ryan’s illegitimate child should be about three months younger than mine. By now, Ryan should have already started his affair. My sister-in-law told me to focus on my pregnancy and that she had her own plans for everything else. I deleted our conversation history. The Powells’ murderous intent only surfaced after Ryan’s illegitimate child was born. For now, my sister-in-law should be safe. Ryan wouldn’t give up his long-term meal ticket for an unborn child of unknown gender, would he? Later, I deeply regretted not warning my sister-in-law to be careful of her safety, but fortunately, it didn’t lead to a grave mistake. My son was born. He was bigger than most month-old babies, with ear-piercing cries. Looking at him, I felt a surge of something called maternal love. I had heard that children with XYY syndrome could make the mother’s body secrete more hormones, causing her to produce more maternal love to accommodate them. It truly was the arrival of a demon. My mother-in-law and Derek were overjoyed, boasting everywhere about how healthy and strong their grandson was, sure that he would grow up to be the bravest of men. My sister-in-law and Ryan came too. Unlike others who brought gifts for the newborn, my sister-in-law brought me many postpartum recovery products. My mother-in-law’s attitude towards my sister-in-law was unexpectedly good, becoming warm and gentle, no longer urging her to have children, and even showing concern for her well-being. Although I knew this was very unusual, as the Powells were always selfish and surely up to no good, my postpartum weakness didn’t allow me to think too much about it. I also believed my sister-in-law had her own plans. My mother-in-law named him Jason, believing it to be the most meaningful name, signifying that this child was the Powell family’s most precious treasure. The hormones made me involuntarily exude maternal love towards Jason. I knew this child was innocent, but his birth itself was a mistake. He was born evil, and in a way, by giving birth to him, I had also harmed society. But as his mother, I had the responsibility to deal with him properly, to avoid adding uncertain risks to society. Jason was very strong, often exhausting me both physically and mentally. I had read many cases of children with XYY syndrome tormenting their mothers, so I secretly asked my sister-in-law for a drug that suppresses breast milk production and took it in advance. Although my sister-in-law was puzzled, she helped me keep it a secret. I didn’t want to breastfeed Jason. My mother-in-law scolded me harshly for not having milk, because Jason had a huge appetite. The cost of formula for a week was already equal to half of Derek’s monthly salary, so my mother-in-law forced me to beg other mothers in the neighborhood to breastfeed Jason. Jason was very strong. Although still an infant, he already showed a fierce expression. When he cried, it was deafeningly loud, which didn’t endear him to others. By the time Jason was four months old, his baby teeth had already grown in, and no one was willing to risk injury to feed him. The Powells cursed and complained about this. My mother-in-law would go around the neighborhood every day, calling those people cold-hearted and selfish. Jason was constantly hungry, and his figure began to show signs of emaciation. Whenever my mother-in-law saw a mother of the right age, she would rush over and force her to breastfeed Jason. All families with young children in the neighborhood avoided us like the plague. My postpartum figure recovered quickly, becoming even thinner than before pregnancy. “The Powells are abusing Aria, not giving her enough to eat, causing the child to have to beg for milk outside. They really have no conscience,” people in the neighborhood said. My parents also wanted to come see the child. I kept making excuses to put them off, unsure if I could maintain my resolve for revenge if I saw my mom and dad.

I calculated the time and realized that Ryan’s illegitimate child should have been born by now. My sister-in-law had already obtained evidence of Ryan’s affair. If they divorced by mutual agreement, it would be very disadvantageous for Ryan. While my sister-in-law was secretly planning for divorce, my mother-in-law joyfully welcomed a woman into our home, carrying a baby that was barely a month old. “Oh, you’ve finally come! This good-for-nothing gave birth to a child but can’t raise it, relying on me to carry the baby around begging for food every day.” My mother-in-law pointed at me and cursed. My mother-in-law said this woman was brought from the countryside to help take care of the baby and, coincidentally, to breastfeed Jason. The woman didn’t look at me, but sat down on the sofa and began to unbutton her clothes to feed the baby in her arms. “Ah! Don’t bite Mommy!” The woman’s body suddenly jerked, almost throwing the baby in her arms. The child was startled and began to wail loudly. His cry was very similar to Jason’s. “You can’t even feed properly. How much strength can such a small child have!” My mother-in-law rushed over and roughly shoved the baby back into the woman’s arms. I watched the chaotic scene of my mother-in-law and the woman. I could be certain that this woman was Ryan’s mistress, and this child was Ryan’s illegitimate son. Why was Ryan’s mistress different from the last life? How exactly did the Powell family die in the previous life? Was Ryan also reborn? “What are you staring at? Come help!” My mother-in-law shoved the baby the woman was holding into my arms and made the woman hold Jason to breastfeed him. This time I got a clear look at the baby in the woman’s arms. He looked very similar to how Jason looked when he was just born! I had a bold guess. “Mom, how old is this child?” I stroked the baby’s head. “He looks a lot like Jason!” “Yvonne gave birth the day before yesterday. Our Powell family children are all blessed with good fortune, they’re all strong!” My mother-in-law didn’t turn her head, focusing on watching the woman feed Jason. I looked at the baby’s features in my arms, pondering his behavior just now, and formed a bold guess in my mind. Watching the baby finish feeding, with drool flowing from the corner of his mouth, I took a tissue, wiped the drool clean, and carefully put it in my pocket. I suspected that Ryan’s son might also have XYY syndrome!

Yvonne insisted on weaning when Jason was 10 months old. Yvonne’s baby, Kevin, had also started teething, and the two babies had tormented her beyond endurance. “What are you making a fuss about! You’re deliberately starving my grandson, aren’t you!” My mother-in-law scolded loudly. “Ryan and Derek were both weaned at two years old! How can you be so delicate as a woman!” “I’m not, Auntie, he’s just too strong.” Yvonne said pitifully. Jason was growing bigger and stronger. Yvonne’s chest was covered in bruises, with new injuries added before the old ones had healed, all the handiwork of the two children. Looking at Yvonne, I felt no sympathy, only relief. After all, breastfeeding two XYY syndrome infants simultaneously must have been tough on Yvonne. The two children looked strikingly similar and had very similar personalities. Over these months, working with my sister-in-law, I confirmed that Kevin was indeed Ryan’s biological son, and he also had XYY syndrome. Yvonne was Ryan’s mistress. Although XYY syndrome has genetic factors, I found it incredible that the Powell family had two XYY children in a row, but I also felt they deserved it. I tried to piece everything together. In the previous life, the Powell mother and sons were most likely killed by Ryan’s son from that life. Ryan knew the outcome and cause of death from the previous life, so he deliberately chose a different woman to give birth to Kevin in this life. Moreover, the Powell mother and sons didn’t know that their beloved grandson in the previous life had genetic problems, which is why they were so nonchalant about XYY syndrome and insisted that I give birth to a son with XYY genes. So in this life, the Powells still don’t know that both of their grandsons have XYY syndrome! I told my sister-in-law everything I had deduced.

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“Anna, James is in the hospital right now, and… it doesn’t look good.” I glanced over at my daughter, Sophia, who was watching TV on the couch. In a low voice, I replied, “Let’s stop the treatment.” James and I have been married for seven years, and our daughter, Sophia, is four now. He runs one of my brother Ryan’s branch companies, but the business had been struggling for a while. My dad even advised him to let it go, saying he should find a job more suited to his expertise. But after I got pregnant, the company suddenly started doing well, and James got busier. That busyness stretched on for five years. Once Sophia was born, my entire focus shifted to her, leaving little time for James. Last month, Sophia started preschool, and I finally got a moment to breathe. That’s when I realized that James wasn’t coming home more than three times a week. Hesitating for a moment, I decided to give him a call. He picked up quickly. “Hey, babe?” “When are you coming home? Sophia’s been waiting for you.” Sophia had actually been asleep for a while by then. I’m just not the type to openly say things like ‘I miss you’ or ‘I love you,’ even when we were dating. James hesitated for a few seconds, his breathing sounded rushed. “I’ve got something at the office. I won’t be home tonight. Tell Sophia to get to bed.” “Babe, I’ve got to go. Love you.” Before I could respond, he hung up.

James didn’t come home until the next night. As soon as I saw him, I knew he’d changed clothes. The suit he was wearing looked a lot like the one he had on the day before, same brand and everything. But it definitely wasn’t the same one. I took his briefcase, pretending to be casual. “Honey, where’s that suit Ryan gave you last time? Haven’t seen you wear it lately.” I was talking about the suit he had left the house wearing the previous day. He bent down to take off his shoes, freezing when he heard my question. His movements became a bit clumsy. My heart sank. A woman’s intuition is almost always spot on. You don’t need hard evidence to tell when your partner’s been unfaithful. James quickly covered, “A client spilled some wine on it. Insisted on taking it to the cleaners for me.” He seemed satisfied with the explanation, standing up to show off the new suit. “They even bought me a new one.” I nodded but didn’t say anything. Later that night, after he fell asleep, I checked his phone. Nothing suspicious. Then I opened his Uber app, and all the ride history had been wiped clean. Since we used the family car to take Sophia to school, James always used Uber to get to the office. Maybe he didn’t know about another feature of the app. I clicked on the “Request Invoice” button, and all the ride records popped up. His three most frequent destinations: The office A place called Sunset Apartments A factory out in the suburbs I knew Sunset Apartments—expensive, even for a rental. The factory? That was near one of the company’s other properties.

Once James left for work, I asked Sandra Davis, the HR manager, to send me a list of employee details. The company had been downsizing lately; last month, they’d laid off a few people. Most of the long-time employees had already jumped ship, leaving a bunch of fresh-out-of-college hires. Aside from Sandra, I barely knew anyone at the company anymore. The list included home addresses, and sure enough, there was a Lisa Woods listed as living at Sunset Apartments. There was no way she could afford to rent that place on her salary. I skimmed her file—out-of-town hire, attractive. Whether her family had money? That wasn’t listed. That afternoon, I picked up some coffee and headed to James’s office. It’s not easy getting a divorce these days; you need solid evidence. The house was a gift from my parents before the wedding, so it was under my name and Sophia’s. I wasn’t concerned about the marital assets, but there was no way I’d let go of custody of my daughter. “Anna’s here, and she brought coffee for everyone!” James’s secretary had already been waiting downstairs for me. James hurried out to meet me too, and for a second, I saw something strange in his eyes. Was it disgust? Or maybe… jealousy? Lisa Woods was there too, shyly coming over to grab her coffee, then walking right up to me. “Thanks, Anna. James always talks about how amazing you are.” Then she flashed him a flirty smile. It was the kind of smile I hadn’t been able to pull off since I was twenty. The air grew tense for a few moments. I smiled, taking her hand. “I haven’t been to the office in a while, so I don’t know any of the new faces.” She opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. “Focus on your work. I hope to see your name up there at the end of the year, and when I do, I’ll make sure to give you a nice bonus.” Sandra Davis quickly jumped in, “You hear that, everyone? Anna just promised us all a great bonus! Better thank the boss!” I smiled at her. In this company, only a few people knew who really held the reins.

James didn’t take it well when I stole his spotlight, and he sulked for the rest of the afternoon. “Our numbers are down, way down,” I said. He froze. “Honey, you’re working like crazy every day. I thought business was booming.” He swallowed hard. “Well, actually, this quarter’s been a little tough…” “With numbers like that, you don’t need to be coming home two or three times a week. What are you doing out there? Gambling? Cheating?” James never expected me to speak so harshly, his neck stiffening as he struggled to respond. “Alright, here are your options.” “One, you fix the numbers for this quarter.” “Two, we shut down the company.” Immediately, he softened, kneeling in front of me. “Babe, we can’t shut down the company! I’ll work harder, I promise.” Of course, he wouldn’t agree to close it. If the company folded, he’d just become “Anna’s husband” and nothing more. “Then get to work.” “If Ryan sees these numbers, he’ll probably feel the same way I do.” I got up, and he scrambled to follow me, offering to walk me out. “No need. And if you don’t come home for the next few days, just book yourself a hotel room nearby.” He looked shocked but happily agreed. I grabbed my camera and set up camp at a café near Sunset Apartments. Around 9 PM, Sandra texted me that James had left the office. Lisa Woods left right after him. James called around the same time, saying he’d be staying at a hotel. I waited for about two hours before they came strolling back, hand in hand, like a couple of high school sweethearts. Oddly, I felt calm watching them. As they got closer, I snapped a few high-definition photos, focusing on their interlocked fingers. When I got home, I called an old friend to help me keep an eye on Lisa. The next day, around noon, I got a call. It was loud on the other end. “You won’t believe this. That woman’s pregnant.”

I quickly gathered myself. “Are you sure?” The person tailing Lisa had accidentally knocked her medical report out of her hands, giving them a quick look. Pregnant? A flood of old frustrations came rushing back. James’s mother had always wanted a grandson. When she found out I couldn’t have more children, she often came by to make things difficult for me. I laughed bitterly. James really thought he had it all figured out, didn’t he? If he wanted a son, there was always some woman out there willing to give him one. That afternoon, Sandra sent me another update. James had fired his old secretary and hired a new one. That wasn’t surprising. What was surprising was that he had personally hired a woman who hadn’t even finished middle school. Sandra quickly forwarded me her details. This was the first time James had ever used his position for something shady. I was curious. Her name was Christine Brown, and she came from the same town as James. No real education, no work history. If Christine had been one of James’s relatives, I would have heard about her. James was always extra careful not to mess up in front of my family, even refusing to help his own brother. I was stunned when I saw her address. She lived in the suburbs, not far from the factory. One of the places James frequently visited. Later that afternoon, I grabbed a seat at a café near the office. James usually ordered a coffee around 1:30 PM. With the old secretary gone, it had to be Christine who was picking it up now. Right on time, she showed up. In person, she looked older than in her photo. It was clear she wasn’t used to running errands. I walked up and helped her order. She gave me a deep, awkward bow. As she bent over, I noticed a necklace slip out from under her collar. It was a limited-edition piece I had seen in a catalog a month ago but hadn’t bought. I admit it—I judged her. “Nice necklace. What brand is it? I might get one for myself.” She instinctively reached to cover it, then let her hand drop. “My boyfriend bought it for me.” I returned to my seat and messaged the salesperson. Sure enough, last month, James had used my credit card to buy that necklace. I was confused but intrigued. Christine lived far from the office, a three-hour commute by subway. If she and James were involved, why hadn’t he moved her closer? She could have sold that necklace and gotten a better apartment. Sandra also informed me that Lisa had taken a few days off. Understandable, given the pregnancy. She probably wanted to rest up. James had also texted me, saying he wouldn’t be home tonight. My gut told me he wasn’t going to see Lisa. So, I took an Uber to Christine’s apartment and waited. Sure enough, the person tailing Lisa confirmed that James wasn’t with her. It wasn’t until after 8 PM that James finally showed up, carrying a bunch of stuff. One item stood out—a large Lego set. That couldn’t be for Christine, right? Was James seeing a woman with a kid? I didn’t stick around long and headed back home. James came home that night, too.

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My once modest and sweet wife, Mary, suddenly had a bunch of Victoria’s Secret lingerie, with clear signs of it being grabbed and stretched. When I asked her about it, she said it was her sister’s. I called her sister to confirm, and after hearing the explanation, I let out a sigh of relief. That was until one night when I saw a message pop up on her phone: “Manny, are you awake? I’ve had too much to drink, and I really miss you.” Rage flooded my chest. I wasn’t about to let them walk all over me—I’d show them that even a nice guy like me isn’t someone you can mess with! That day, Mary was taking a shower, and I wasn’t feeling well after eating something bad, so I rushed straight into the bathroom. She was startled, standing under the running water, and I laughed, saying, “C’mon, we’re married! No need to be shy!” I sat on the toilet, trying to relieve my stomach while admiring her body. Mary worked as a part-time dance instructor, and her figure was killer. At 5’7″ with a gorgeous face, she was hard to resist. I couldn’t help but reach out and grab her hand, “Babe, you smell so good.” “Stop it! I’m tired; just let me rest,” she replied, brushing me off. Annoyed by her cold reaction, I stood up immediately, without even wiping, and snapped, “You haven’t been sneaking around behind my back, have you?!” Mary turned on me angrily, spraying me with the showerhead, soaking me from head to toe, and yelled, “Manny Rogers, are you out of your mind?!” Seeing her so mad, I quickly backed down. “Calm down, I was just joking. But we haven’t done anything in a month, you know?” Mary ignored me, drying off her body and reaching for her lingerie. It was then that I noticed the design of the lingerie—it was pink, delicate, and something I’d never seen her wear before. “Mary! Where did you get this lingerie?” She glanced down at it, then gave me a playful push on the head. “It’s supposed to be a surprise for you, silly!” But I could clearly see this lingerie had been worn many times already. There were even noticeable grab marks on it. “Are you kidding me?! This is clearly old!” My face flushed with anger, and I could feel a burning sensation on my forehead. Mary, pulling me by the arm, pouted and said in a playful tone, “Don’t get mad, babe. I went to my sister Helen’s house this afternoon, and their faucet broke. I got soaked from head to toe, including my lingerie. So, I borrowed a set of clothes from her closet.” “I’m calling Helen right now!” I shot back, reaching for my phone. I dialed her number, pretending to make small talk before I got to the point. “Helen, Mary said she got drenched at your place this afternoon. I hope she didn’t cause too much trouble.” “Manny, my husband gave her a set of clothes to change into. Why, are you checking up on her?” “Oh, no, no, just calling to check in!” I replied with a laugh, trying to keep it casual, and then hung up. Now it was Mary’s turn to be mad. She accused me of not trusting her and refused to speak to me. I quickly grabbed her hand, trying to make things right. “Honey, please don’t be upset! I’m sorry for doubting you. I’m an idiot. What can I do to make it up to you?” Unexpectedly, she softened and replied, “Only if you add my name to the property.”

Mary was referring to the penthouse I had bought with my business earnings. It had been sitting vacant, and the property deed only had my name on it. Recently, the area had been marked for development, and with the housing restrictions lifted, the property value had tripled. Since we hadn’t put her name on it, the penthouse was technically considered my pre-marital asset. Although I had already bought a marital home under her name and paid the down payment, I had been considering adding her name to the penthouse as well. After all, we were about to get married, and I didn’t want her to feel left out. So I seized the opportunity and said, “No problem, baby. We’ll head down to the County Property Office this week.” I loved Mary deeply and was willing to give her everything I had. Mary beamed with joy and threw her arms around me, kissing me like crazy. “You’re the best husband ever!” I laughed, kissed her back, and turned off the lights. Later, I sat on the edge of the bed, lighting a cigarette while Mary went to take a shower. Her phone was charging on the nightstand. Compelled by some force, I picked it up, unable to resist the urge to look through it. I remembered her password. We never checked each other’s phones before, but we were about to get married, so what harm could there be in a little peek? When I opened her Instagram, I found nothing. Not a single chat. Even our conversations were deleted. That was her habit. She always deleted chat records after talking. But that didn’t stop me. I switched to her payment history to check for any unusual transfers. Besides the $1,000 transfers I gave her on holidays, I noticed she had received another $1,000 from someone else. The contact was labeled “J,” and the profile picture was a tiger’s head—clearly a man, and judging by the profile, an older one. I quickly snapped a picture of the transaction, my hands trembling with anger as I put her phone back. I never expected Mary to betray me like this. If I wasn’t mistaken, she was cheating on me. Otherwise, why would someone send her $1,000 on holidays? Anger boiled inside me, and I wanted to storm into the bathroom and confront her. But I took a deep breath, pushing my fury down. Mary had never mentioned adding her name to the penthouse before—why did she suddenly bring it up now? I suspected it had something to do with whoever she was cheating with. Maybe they were plotting to take my property. The thought sent a chill down my spine. I had to find out who this guy was. Just then, a message came through on my phone. “Manny, are you awake? I’ve had too much to drink, and I really miss you.”

My hand shook as I read the message. It was from Rhonda, Mary’s best friend, who had a sultry look. At a couple of dinners, she had given me flirty glances when Mary wasn’t looking, even played footsie under the table, but I’d always brushed her off. After all, my fiancée was far more beautiful. Still, I never thought Rhonda would actually message me. Not wanting Mary to see it, I quickly deleted the message, deciding to ignore it. Mary said she was going to bed, so I didn’t disturb her. I lay there, wide awake, thinking about the contents of her phone. I was sure Mary was cheating. But all I had to go on was a tiger-head profile picture. I had to figure out who this guy was. I considered following her but worried she’d notice. Then, a better idea came to me—something foolproof. I remembered a programmer, Mick Prieston, whom I had met during business. The next day, I contacted Mick and asked if there was a way to install tracking software on someone’s phone. Mick said he could do it. All he needed was her phone model and some time to set it up. Later, while Mary was in the shower, I installed the software on her phone. Now, I could track her movements in real time. To my surprise, her routine was very consistent. After work, she would head to the dance studio for an hour, then stop by her sister’s house, staying there for an hour before coming home. Could it be that I was overthinking this? Maybe she wasn’t cheating after all? Still, I wasn’t ready to drop it. Maybe she was meeting her lover at the dance studio. I decided to follow her, just to be sure. I decided to follow Mary to see who she was meeting. Wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap, I rented a car, making sure I wouldn’t be recognized. I called in sick from work and tailed Mary to her office. She worked as a secretary, and I had once suspected she might be involved with her boss. But her boss was a woman, so that idea quickly fell apart. Still, there was always the possibility she was involved with one of her coworkers. Office romances aren’t unheard of. I spent the entire day hanging around the building, watching from a distance. I could see her through the window, printing documents and chatting with some of her male colleagues. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Maybe the affair wasn’t happening at the office? As the workday ended, I saw Mary leave the building. I followed her from a distance. To my surprise, a sleek black Lincoln pulled up beside her. She said something to the driver, then got into the passenger seat. I immediately started my car and followed. The Lincoln stopped outside her dance studio, and to my relief, two other women from her office got out of the car with her. They had carpooled. So much for that lead.

I parked outside the studio and waited for over an hour, watching through the large glass window. Inside, Mary was graceful and poised, teaching a dance class. She was wearing athletic clothes, looking as stunning as ever. Honestly, with a body and face like hers, it wasn’t surprising other men might have their eyes on her. But after watching for a while, no men approached her. No one suspiciously lingered around her. After the class ended, she packed up her things and left for her sister Helen’s house, just like she always did. Mary had a close relationship with Helen, and she’d often spend an hour or so at her place after work. I watched her enter the building and saw the elevator stop on Helen’s floor. By the end of the day, I was left feeling confused and frustrated. There didn’t seem to be any real evidence of her cheating. Maybe I had just been paranoid, letting my mind run wild. As I stood in front of the elevator, trying to figure it all out, a familiar voice called out behind me. “Manny, what are you doing here?” I turned to find Helen standing there, looking surprised. “Hey, uh, I’m looking for Mary,” I said quickly. “My phone’s dead, and I forgot my keys. I figured she’d be here, so I came to find her.” Helen smiled and hit the elevator button. “Yeah, she’s here. Come on up.” I followed her up to the apartment. “You’re home early,” Helen said as we rode up. “Usually Mary stays for dinner before heading home. How come you’re off work so soon?” “Oh, just an easy day today,” I mumbled, avoiding the question. Helen unlocked the door and called out, “Honey, I’m home!” From inside, a man’s voice responded—it was David, Helen’s husband. “Babe! Great timing. Oh, Manny’s here too? Guess I’ll have to cook for three tonight!” David came out of the living room, looking a little surprised to see me but quickly recovered with a warm smile. “Hey, man, long time no see. Come on in.” “Where’s Mary?” Helen asked, hanging her purse by the door. “She’s in the shower,” David replied. “She said she worked up a sweat at the studio.” Helen chuckled. “You’ve got to tell her to stop coming over here to use our shower!” Something about this didn’t sit right with me. Mary usually showered again when she got home in the evenings. Why would she need to take a shower here, too? Just as I was mulling over that, Mary stepped out of the bathroom, towel-drying her hair. “Manny? What are you doing here?” she asked, sounding surprised. I repeated the lie I had told Helen, and Mary nodded thoughtfully. “Okay, well, let’s head home.” “Why don’t you two stay for dinner?” Helen suggested. “No, we really should get going—” Mary started, but Helen cut her off with a teasing grin. “Oh, I see! Trying to sneak off for some alone time, huh? Don’t let me stop you.” Before we left, David chimed in, “You two should get married already, huh?” I froze for a second, then nodded awkwardly. “Yeah, we’re working on it.” David flashed me a smile. “Mary’s a great girl. You’re lucky, man. Hold on to her.”

We drove back home in silence. After following Mary all day and finding nothing, I was starting to think I had been overreacting. Maybe someone had simply sent her money as a gift. Perhaps there was no affair at all. That night, before bed, Mary brought up the subject of adding her name to the property deed again. Feeling guilty about doubting her, I agreed. “Okay, we’ll go to the County Property Office this week.” Mary was thrilled. That night, she was unusually affectionate. The next day, I went back to work and didn’t follow her. But around noon, I got an unexpected phone call—from Mick, the programmer. “Hey, man, are you alone? Can you talk?” My heart skipped a beat. What did Mick have for me? I left my desk and found a quiet spot. “Yeah, what’s up?” “We don’t usually talk outside of business, but I felt like I had to tell you this,” Mick said, his voice low and serious. “What is it?” “I’ve got a recording for you. The software I installed on Mary’s phone records everything. I think you need to hear this.” A knot formed in my stomach as I opened my Instagram. Sure enough, Mick had sent me an audio file. “Make sure you listen to it when no one’s around,” Mick warned before hanging up. I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I was ready to hear whatever was on that recording. But curiosity got the better of me, and I hit play. The recording started with soft breathing and an unmistakable voice—Mary’s voice. “Don’t touch me like that, wait—” Before she could finish her sentence, I heard the sounds of kissing and muffled voices. Then, Mary’s voice came back, whispering, “David, be gentle. You’re hurting me.”

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